


Stars On Her Ceiling

by gingergallifreyan



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Romance, Rose is in mortal danger near the end, Shape of Water AU, Smut, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy, a sexy skinny mountain man, a sexy skinny mountain man who doesn't talk, but makes real good love, but picture a mountain man, but she is saved, but you get that if you've seen the movie, bye, character death sort of, mmmm yes, ok, secret government plots, some spoilers for original plot, ten is not a fish boi, the bastard deserves it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-04-04 04:41:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14012400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingergallifreyan/pseuds/gingergallifreyan
Summary: Rose, Martha, and Mickey all work on the same medical research team at Statten Labs. Mr. Henry van Statten and one of his henchmen, Harold Saxon, approach the team with an exciting new project, but the team suspects it is not as exciting as the two make it out to be. Their suspicions are confirmed when they meet their test subject, a mysterious man who holds some surprises beneath his mute exterior.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love this movie so friggen much. Here's hoping I can do it some justice! As it is with AUs, I'm taking it in my own direction, but there are some spoilers for the movie, so maybe hold off on reading if you haven't seen it yet.
> 
> I apologize to people who are actually involved in the field of science.... I'm sure there's a million things that are inaccurate about this.
> 
> The title of this fic.... I didn't want to riff on the title of the movie, but it does come from a lyric on the soundtrack, from the song _I Know Why (and So Do You)_ , this particular incarnation by......... COINCIDENTALLY ENOUGH, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra.... of the Moonlight Serenade fame.... so like..... the lyric kind of hit me in the face and knocked me out, because stars are such a Doctor/Rose thing. Anyway, it's a beautiful little song. [Have a listen.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDuSxDsJAyY)
> 
> Also, this is for doctorroseprompts March Movie Au month.

As far as life went for Rose Tyler, she was doing alright. She woke up every morning, grabbed breakfast and showered, met her friend and neighbor and co-worker, Martha Jones, in the hall, and they both took the bus into work each day. Both of them made enough as scientists on a research team with Statten Labs to be able to afford their own flats.

Lately, though, Rose was… bored. Their last few research projects had been good, working on some advancements in treatments for various diseases, but she was getting that itch again… the urge to break out of the daily grind. Maybe she needed another vacation. Maybe she was missing her mum again, who’d passed a few years ago after an accident, much like her dad had gone when she was a baby.

Oh, sure, she enjoyed doing good for the world. She loved science. She’d loved the stars, had gone to uni for astronomy, but she and Martha had been recruited by van Statten early on in their studies. Rose switched to biology as a result, and the company paid for the remainder of her schooling, including post graduate work.

She missed the stars, though. She often felt she was letting her mum down. “Always in the clouds, your head is. No surprise you’d want to study the stars,” she’d say.

A pounding on her front door interrupted her thoughts. _“Rose!”_

She glanced at her mobile. _Shit._ She’d laid there ruminating for too long. She ran out of her room to open the door for Martha.

“Rose, we’re going to be late again.”

She rushed back to her room. “Sorry, Martha!”

“Your head in the clouds?” She set about making some toast for her.

“Yeah, sorry.” She zipped up her turquoise hoodie and applied some light makeup. “Sorry.”

“Let’s just get out the door before we miss the bus, yeah? Got a few minutes spare.” Martha held out the warm buttered bread for her.

Once they were seated in the big red box, Rose sighed and leaned her head back on the seat.

“Is it your mum again?”

“Yeah, and no.”

“What’s wrong, then?”

“Do you ever regret this path we took? You wanted to become a doctor.”

“You wanted to see the stars.”

“Yeah.” Rose sighed again and leaned her head on the window.

“Sometimes I do. I know we’re helping people, so it’s sort of the same thing.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You, you did just fine with the switch.”

“I know.”

“But you’re still not happy?”

“I am, but I’m not, y’know? I mean, I’ve done alright for a girl from the estates.”

“Yeah, we make good money, doing this.” Martha hushed her voice and leaned in. “But… something seems off about Statten the longer we’re there.”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “I’ve thought that, too. Some of the upper staff are just… weird. That Harold Saxon, one of his seconds-in-command? He’s been looking at me funny lately. Ugh, the way he came up behind me and was looking over my shoulder the other day, watching me work… feeling his breath on my neck…” She shuddered and grimaced. “Ew. I wanna throw up again just thinking about it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what his deal is.”

“I’ll speak up the next time he does it. I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

The bus made it to their stop, and they boarded the waiting company bus to take them just out of town to Statten Labs.

“Last two again, I see?” Mickey Smith, the other member of their three-part team, chided as they took their seats across the aisle from him.

Martha elbowed him. “Shut up, Mickey.”

“Just giving you two a hard time.” He smiled warmly at her.

Rose leaned over to look past Martha. “Nothing I don’t deserve. It was my fault again.”

“You alright, Rose?” he asked.

“Nothing getting the work day started won’t fix.” She gave him a cheesy smile.

“Did you read your emails this morning?”

“No, I was too busy getting Rose around,” Martha answered.

“He’s got a new project for us. We’re meeting with van Statten and Saxon first thing.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started on Saxon.”

Mickey noted, “Yeah, he seems pretty smarmy to me.” They conversed for a while longer until the bus stopped.

Harold Saxon was waiting for them at the clock-in computer in the front office with his biggest grin. The blond wore a sharp, black business suit with a skinny tie. “Team Bad Wolf, good to see you this morning. I trust you’ve checked your emails?" He glanced at his phone. "At least Mickey has, judging by the receipt. Martha and Rose, you should check yours in the mornings. Never know what announcements you'll miss.”

“Yeah, we know about the meeting,” Mickey replied.

“Good.” He smiled at Rose. “I’m here to escort you straight to van Statten’s office.”

She stepped back. “All three of us, right?”

“Of course. Follow me.” He gestured for them to move to the lobby, and they all stepped into an elevator which took them to the fifth floor, and they arrived at a lush office suite. “Welcome to the top floor, team.”

“Thanks. Very posh,” Martha offered, glancing around at the luxury furniture.

“Mr. van Statten is a particular man,” Saxon replied. “You all have a seat here in the lounge, and I’ll bring him out here. Help yourselves to coffee, tea, biscuits, whatever.”

“Good for me,” Rose muttered even as her stomach rumbled. She piled a small plate with biscuits, and the three friends sat quietly as they waited.

“Ah, the team. One of our best!” van Statten announced as he entered the room. It was known he was American, but the accent wasn’t any less jarring, and neither was his mustache. He shook their hands vigorously. “Welcome to my office. Mickey, Martha, Rose. Sit, please. No doubt you’re wondering why we’re all here. I’ve been keeping an eye on your work through Saxon. We’ve got a special project coming in. You’ve been auditioning for it and you didn’t even know! How 'bout that?”

Rose nodded. “Great. So what do you want with us?”

“Before we begin,” he said, motioning at Saxon to distribute some forms, “as you know, Statten Labs is on the forefront of medical research. We like to be on the cutting edge, so we can’t let any of this get out, and you’ll understand why once we begin. We’ll need you to sign these non-disclosure agreements. Whether you agree or not with our proposal, you’ll have to keep quiet about this meeting. Is that alright?”

“What’s the penalty for talking?” Mickey asked as he glanced over the document. “Termination, I see. Lawsuits.”

“Yes, and you won’t be able to afford the price tag, no matter how well we pay you. You do understand, yes?”

“Yeah, we get it,” Martha answered. “So you’ve got some big, top secret project you want to introduce to us?”

“Yes. Do you all need a minute to decide and sign?”

They all looked at each other and shrugged. “I think we’re good,” Mickey replied.

“Good.” Once they finished and Saxon had collected the forms, van Statten continued. “We think this new research is going to make so many breakthroughs in modern medicine. We could potentially find the cure for cancer and numerous other diseases. Unlock a fountain of youth, so to speak.”

The three shared glances again. “Go on,” Mickey prompted.

Saxon cut in. “We’ve found a new species, and we think their blood is the key, and we’d like you to work with it.”

Martha sat up. “Wait, so we’re working with a live animal?”

“Yes. We’re not asking you to harm it. Of course you’ll follow protocols and ethics, and all that.”

“As long as we’re not harming any life.”

“No,” van Statten answered. “And you’ll have access to one of our special labs. Best technology, the whole shebang, with its own private server. We’ve got to keep this under wraps, after all.”

“Can we see it?” Mickey asked.

“Unfortunately, not until you agree. Company secrets, you’ll understand.”

“Ah. Does this mean increased hours and such?”

“No. In fact, your schedule will be flexible from now on. Come and go as you please, but this is a long-term project. We are prepared to give you a handsome bump in salary. Any other questions?”

“You’re sure we won’t be harming whatever specimen you’ve dragged in here?” Rose asked.

Saxon narrowed his eyes for a second. “No, you won’t.” He passed out the contracts.

Mickey glanced at the paperwork. “I say we go for it, ladies.”

Rose scrunched up her face. “You think so?”

“Yes. Sounds like a good opportunity. Something to challenge us, yeah?”

“Martha, what do you think?” she asked.

“It does sound good, a chance to make some important medical breakthroughs.”

Rose glanced at her contract again. Maybe it was being in the same room with Saxon that gave her a sense of unease. Martha and Mickey were fine with it, so maybe she should be, too. “Alright, I’ll do it. Let’s sign.”

Mickey held out a fist, and the other two bumped it, and they laughed.

Saxon rolled his eyes, but none of them caught it.

“Harold, if you’ll take them to security, and then to their lab. HR can handle their salaries digitally.”

He nodded. “Sir. If you’ll all follow me.”

They stopped on the second floor and had their fingerprints and retinas scanned, as well as new key cards made. “You’ll scan the key card, and then you’ll either use your retinas or fingerprints to get into your lab. Double security,” they were told. When they arrived back on the first floor, they followed Saxon to another elevator around a corner they’d never noticed before, and, to their surprise, went down, stopping on the third level.

“How far does this go?” Mickey asked as they stepped out.

“At least 53 levels,” Saxon answered as they approached two doors. “I’ve never been below that. You’ll be here, on Lower Level Three, and your biodata won’t be valid for other floors.” He pointed to the door on the left. “That one’s the stairs, in case of emergency, though in the event of a fire or other disaster, you would be completely safe to stay. This structure has been built to last, with every possibility accounted for. There are other stairs you can access elsewhere. This door,” he said, pointing to the one straight ahead, “will grant you access to your floor. Rose, why don’t you try scanning your ID? It should already be in the system.”

She cringed when he said her name, but she obeyed. The panel flashed green and the door unlocked.

They continued down the hall for a bit. Saxon spoke again. “There are other labs on this floor, but you won’t be able to get in. There’s a lounge if you continue that way, with vending machines. You can also access Lower Level One, which has a nice food court. There’s even a Pret a Manger.”

“You serious?” Mickey laughed. “That’s amazing!”

“Yep! The perks of moving up to the Lower Levels.”

Martha asked, “So we will get to meet some of the other scientists down here?”

“We’re not isolationists. Just as long as you aren’t divulging details on your specific projects, you’re free to interact. No lab sharing, that’s all. Speaking of, are you ready to see yours?”

“Yeah, let’s do this,” Mickey answered as they stopped in front of a door. He scanned his keycard and retina, and they all entered the sterile, white room.

The lab was filled with equipment, some they knew and some they’d need to learn. Mickey and Martha marveled at the computers and mass spectrometers and holographic display ports. Over to the side was a hospital bed and a cabinet, presumably filled with appropriate accompanying medical supplies. They even had their own private loo, complete with a chemical shower. Rose noticed the small… cage, she’d call it, in the corner. A tiny room. A prison bed outfitted on the wall, from the looks of it. Bars to keep something in, but there was a lock. _It won’t be locked up while I’m in the lab._ “So is our specimen going in here?”

“Yes,” Saxon said as he walked over.

Mickey and Martha joined them. “Looks… homey,” he commented.

“It will be here when you show up tomorrow. Why don’t you all go familiarize yourselves with the equipment?”

She stared at it for a moment longer before turning to join her friends.

Mickey called, “Rose, come on, let’s fiddle with this hologram thingy.”

“So long as you don’t make a phallus for your first projection,” she quipped.

“Damn. You found me out.” He looked at the accompanying computer. “I didn’t think holograms like this were real. Straight out of science fiction, y'know? I wonder where they got this from.”

“Developed in house,” Saxon noted. “We aim to be on the cutting edge of technology.”

“I can see why you wouldn’t want that to get out to the public,” Martha offered.

“Right. Do you all need anything else from me? You’re free to clock out anytime you wish today. One of our shuttles will take you back into the city.”

“I think we’re alright,” she said.

“You all enjoy yourselves, then. I’ll check in tomorrow, provide extra support with your specimen. It’s been known to be... wiley. I know how to keep it in line.”

“Thanks,” Rose said, shortly.

Saxon stared for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face, maybe a hint of annoyance, before he walked out the door.

“I told you all he was weird.” She rolled her eyes.

“You alright, Rose? Something’s bugging you about this,” Mickey asked.

“The way Saxon talks about our specimen. It’s like he doesn’t have regard for life. He refers to it as ‘it.’ I only said ‘it’ because I don’t even know what ‘it’ is yet.”

“That’s not an animal cage.” Mickey nodded towards the enclosure. “That’s a human-sized bed.”

“I’m not so sure about this anymore. It seemed pretty suspicious, but now I'm really having doubts,” Martha said softly.

He sighed. “I guess we’ll know more tomorrow, yeah? For now, let’s get to work, making sure the machines are calibrated.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Rose conceded as she began to play with the interface of one of the mass spectrometers. “I don’t like that we didn’t get more information on what exactly we are studying for a while.”

“Rose, I have a feeling it will be alright,” Mickey said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“You think so?”

“Yeah. Whaddya say we hit up the Pret upstairs? We can come back to this later.”

She smiled lightly. “They do have the best coffee around.”

“Atta girl.” He nudged her with his arm.

\--

Rose didn’t waste any time when she woke up the next morning. She was out in the hall before Martha.

Her friend smiled. “Eager beaver, are we?”

She blushed. “Maybe.”

“I understand.” She laughed. “Let’s go. Mickey texted to say not to worry about meeting him. I think we’re all a bit excited.”

“Let’s go, then.”

When they arrived, Mickey was working on something or other on a computer, but Saxon was standing guard over in the corner. She spotted something brown lying in the bed, but she couldn’t get a good look with Smarmy in the way. “Ah, Rose! Would you like to meet our specimen?”

She glanced at Mickey, who shook his head. He was hidden from view by the monitor. “Actually, Rose, would you come look at this calculation? I need a second eye on the inputs and algorithm.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said softly.

He whispered, “You, wait ‘til later. He can’t stay here the whole day.”

She nodded, and Mickey slid his chair over so she could stand in front of the monitor.

Martha, however, was happy to head over to the enclosure. Her eyebrows raised when she examined the figure on the bed. “Oh. Not an animal at all. Bit hairy, though.” She looked at Saxon. “Can I have the key? I’d like to go in and meet him.”

“He’s sedated at the moment, so he should be fine.” He passed it to her and stepped back.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside the cell. “Hey,” she said softly. “Hi, I’m Martha. I’m one of the scientists here.” The man slowly looked over his shoulder. She took in his loose leather trousers and fur-covered top, and then his long, plaited hair and unkempt beard. Most of all, she noticed his eyes. Brown, deep and soulful, but surrounded by dark circles and heavy eyelids. He looked… defeated. Utterly broken. “Saxon, what is this? Why are we putting a human in a cage? This isn't ethical at all.”

The man in the suit sniffed. “I think, when you all begin to poke around, you’ll find he’s not human at all.”

“He looks human.”

“Appearances can be deceiving.”

“His wrists in these restraints, they’re cutting into him.”

“Then he shouldn’t resist so much.”

“You’ve treated him like he’s an animal.”

“He-" He shook his head. _"It_ practically is.”

“His eyes… have you fed him? Given him water at all?”

“Not recently, no. It wouldn’t take food from us.”

“Probably because you’ve been hurting him. This isn’t right at all. I don’t care who you are, this is wrong. We need to take care of him. I’m not treating any specimen of mine this way, and I’m sure Mickey and Rose won’t stand for it, either. Where is he from, anyway? Where did you find him?”

“That information is classified.”

She got right in his face. “We’ve got to know if he’s in our charge!”

He stood taller and looked down at her. _“Classified,_ Ms. Jones. Don’t overstep your boundaries.”

“If you’re not going to give us the information, Mr. Saxon, then at least give him some food. He needs some protein now. Does he even eat our food? Is he allergic to anything?”

He sighed. “What would you recommend, Ms. Jones?”

“A boiled egg? I don’t know. At least some water and crackers. Now. Go get it. We’re not studying him until we know he trusts us.” She crossed her arms and stared defiantly at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He stared at Rose as he made his way to the door and left.

She swallowed back tears. Hearing his condition through Martha, she’d fought marching over there and punching Saxon herself, so she glared at him.

He smirked.

As soon as the door snicked closed, Mickey grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. “Don’t go yet, Rose. Saxon just wants a response. Don’t give him the satisfaction of it.”

“Why are you insistent on this?”

“Just… trust me, alright? Like I said, he can’t stay here all day. When he leaves, then you can.”

She searched his eyes.

“Trust me, Rose. I know how compassionate you are, and I know it’s killing you that something is hurting right now, but wait.”

“Okay,” she said slowly.

“Martha’s a good doctor. She’ll take care of him for the moment.”

She nodded. “I don’t understand, but alright.”

Martha came over for a chair. “That poor creature! I don’t know what they’ve been doing to him before he came to us, but it won’t happen again. Not on my watch.” She wheeled it away towards the cage and rubbed the man’s side. “Don’t worry, mister. I’ll get these restraints off when he comes back.”

Saxon made a reappearance thirty minutes later. “Here’s a sandwich box and a bottled water.”

“And now, his restraints are coming off, and then you’re going to leave.”

“It’s dangerous!”

“Oh, bollocks! Look at him. He hasn’t moved since I’ve been in here.”

He stared at the man, and then at Martha. “Folly be on your own head.”

She held out her hand for the key as Saxon reached for the restraints. “I’ll do it. Don't you touch him. And I’m keeping the key for the cage, you hear me? The key for his restraints, I’ll turn that in to the front desk before we leave.”

He glared and dropped the key in her hands.

“Good.” She stood and squared off with him. “Now leave.”

He snorted and turned, indignant the whole way out of the lab.

“At least he didn’t stare at me this time. Much more of that and I’ll be heading to human resources,” Rose muttered.

“I don’t think he’s used to people telling him no. Look how Martha stood up to him.”

“Right. Can I go look at him now?”

“Maybe let him eat first. He’s just now meeting a friendly face, by my estimation.”

“I suppose.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you know something about him we all don’t?”

“I saw him when he was first brought in. It was the saddest thing… it would have killed you. And Saxon, well, like you said, not sure what his deal is. He obviously has control issues.”

“Yeah.” She furrowed her brows and looked down.

“Hey, me and Martha, we got your back.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks. You’ve been a great friend since we met you a few years ago.”

He nudged her with his arm.

Martha sat in her chair behind the man lying on the bed. “Hey,” she said softly, patting his side. “Here’s some food, if you want it. But I’ll need you to sit up so I can remove those restraints.”

He slowly looked over his shoulder and sniffed.

She smiled. “Got a sandwich for you. I don’t know if you’ve ever had one before.” She looked out into the lab. “Hey, Mickey and Rose, would you get him some more bottled water? He may not drink it now, but I want to leave some for him tonight after we leave.”

“Yeah!” Mickey called out, and they left.

“Can you sit up for me?” she asked.

He slowly swung his legs around and sat upright.

“Good. Hold out your arms for me?” She held out her own, and he slowly offered his. “Thanks. I’m just going to unlock them.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, rubbing his wrists when they were finally free.

Martha smiled. “Now you’re a free man. Or as free as you’re gonna get in this place. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you, though. Would you like to eat?” She held up the box.

He opened his fur jacket and took it from her hand, contemplating the sandwich for a moment. He lifted up the top slice of bread and sniffed the meat.

“I don’t know how you feel about turkey and cheese, but it’s what we have for the moment.”

He picked up a slice, and after chewing for a moment, he shrugged and continued with it. He went for the green, oddly-shaped fruit next. Taking a bite of it, he stopped, scrunched up his face and spit out the offending flesh.

She giggled. “No pears, huh?”

He glared.

She laughed even harder. “I’m sorry. I’ll make sure we don’t get any more for you in the future.”

He picked up the bag of crisps, staring at it, and he shook it.

“Here, let me.” She took the bag and opened it for him.

He ate one of the crisps while she opened the bottle of water.

“Can you talk?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“Ah, you’re mute. Are you able to read?”

He shrugged and stared into the bag.

“Sort of? Don’t want to?”

He lightly nodded as he brought another crisp to his lips.

“What about write?”

He shook his head again and munched with delight.

“Okay. My name is Martha. I know you can’t say it, but you might like to know anyway.”

He smiled a little.

“Do you have a name?”

He nodded vigorously.

“Great. Is there any way you can tell me?”

He pulled at a smaller braid from behind his ear.

“Oh! That’s like Star Wars! A padawan!”

He froze and stared.

She blushed and blinked. “Right, sorry. You wouldn’t get it. Go on.”

He pointed at a small medallion hanging from the plait.

She held it in her hand and furrowed her brows at the foreign script. She'd never seen such a symbol. “What’s all these circles and lines?”

His eyebrows raised and he flipped the medallion over, showing a circle with a single horizontal line through it.

“Wait, is this a Greek letter? Theta?”

He nodded vigorously again and beamed at her.

“Can you read and write Greek?”

He shrugged and shook his head again, finishing off the bag.

“Are you Greek?”

He scrunched up his nose at her.

“Sorry, had to ask. Alright, Theta. Water?” She held up the bottle for him.

He took it from her and chugged it down.

She smiled. “I know you’re probably thirsty, but maybe take it slower on the next one, yeah? Rose and Mickey should be back any moment with more.”

As if on cue, the lab door whooshed open, and the pair walked in carrying takeout bags. “We got you lunch, Martha, and some more water and food for later,” Mickey announced.

Martha smiled again. “Come on, let’s go meet the other two.” She looked at him, and he was staring out into the lab. “Something wrong?” He didn’t move… except his eyes. They were tracking… she looked, Rose. He was staring at Rose like he was seeing a ghost. That was odd. “Hey, Rose? Come over here for a moment.”

She glanced at Mickey, who hesitantly nodded, and she slowly approached the enclosure. The man that’d been kept inside, he walked right up to her.

“Mickey, does he know her?” Martha asked.

“Don’t think so. That would be impossible, wouldn’t it?”

“He sure seems to think he does.”

The room fell silent, or Rose wasn’t sure if she couldn’t hear anything but for the roaring of her heart in her ears. She couldn’t take in much else of him, except for his intense eyes, which were currently boring into hers. She swallowed and dropped her gaze.

He gently reached for her hand and held her palm to his chest. She was frozen by the tenderness in his eyes. She’d never known such love could exist, but it was plainly written on his face. After a moment, his smile faded and his gaze morphed into anxiety. He pressed her hand to his chest again, and he silently pleaded with her to understand.

She drew back her hand, but he caught it and repeated the motion a third time. She shook her head and said, “I'm sorry. I don’t understand.”

Tears filled his eyes and her heart broke when he took a few steps back from her. He turned and went back to the cage and curled up on the bed towards the wall.

None of the three moved for a moment until Martha heard a quiet sniffle. She picked up one of the bags of food and several bottles of water and placed them at the foot of his bed. “Here’s some more if you want it later.”

He curled further into himself.

“Right. We’ll be going for the day, I think. I’m sorry for whatever’s hurting you.”

He didn’t respond.

She closed the door, not bothering to lock it, and walked to Rose, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You alright?”

“Y-yeah,” she breathed. “I just wish I knew what he wanted.” She wrapped an arm around herself.

“Maybe we should go,” Mickey offered. He’d packed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

She nodded. “Yeah, let’s.” She and Martha both readied themselves to leave. They turned off the light on their way out.

“Wanna go for pizza?” Mickey asked.

“Yeah.” Martha smiled. “You, Rose?”

She exhaled. “Sure. Can I go home and shower first or something?”

“Sounds good. Mickey, you can hang out at my place for a bit?”

He smiled. “I’d like that.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finds an unpleasant surprise in the lab the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some heavy stuff in this chapter. We find out what happened to Theta some. Little bit violent description.
> 
> I did some research on medical stuff... I did the best I could, okay? LOL. Some brief mention of needles.
> 
> Also, I did some research on Gallifreyan biology [here](http://www.citywok.org/doctorwho/docwho1.html) (y'all, that website has anything you'll ever need to know about Doctor Who) and took some liberties for my own purposes, as you'll see. Theta's a bit different from his counterparts where he comes from. He's got some extra special abilities due to his position.
> 
> Also, writing for a character that can't really communicate is interesting. I realize my paragraph breaks aren't quite correct in this fic. I'm normally a stickler for that, but this fic has special circumstances.

While Mickey and Martha settled in for a (casual, they told themselves) cuddle and a movie on her sofa, Rose turned up the heat on her water and stepped under the pleasantly hot spray.

His eyes haunted her.

She closed hers as she shampooed her hair.

His gaze had been frighteningly intimate. She shivered at the thought of it. Her ladybits tingled and she bit her lip.

He didn’t know who she was at all, though. That couldn’t have been meant for her. Someone he knew… maybe used to know, because he’d been spurned to grief at her misunderstanding. Someone who looked like her. Someone he knew well enough to look at like that. What a lucky woman she must have been, to have been on the receiving end of it… Rose pictured exactly how she’d respond… lips moving against his, pushing down those leather trousers...

“Get a grip, Tyler. He’s your test subject, for fuck’s sake,” she told herself. “I must be ovulating or something.” Yeah... definitely her hormones.

Still… wouldn’t hurt to pop one off in the shower, would it? Mickey and Martha weren’t expecting her for a while. She needed to relieve some stress anyway.

—

Mickey inhaled sharply at the knock on Martha's door, his eyes struggling to open. His neck was sore from resting his head on the back of Martha’s sofa. She was still leaning into his side, and his arm was painfully asleep. He smiled in spite of it. “Martha,” he said softly.

She sat up. “What?”

He chuckled. “Someone’s at your door. Probably Rose. I’m gonna go get it.” He shook out his arm and hissed.

“Did it fall asleep?”

“Yeah.”

She smiled. “Sorry, Mickey.”

“Worth it.” He stood before she had the chance to respond.

It was Rose, of course. “Hey, Mickey, Martha.” She made her way to the sofa and plopped down next to Martha.

“Crazy day, right?” Martha said.

“Yeah. I thought about it, though. I think wherever he’s from, there’s someone who looks like me. Or was.”

“Good thought. That response was not ‘I’m missing someone and want to get back to them.’ That was… he’d lost someone. I mean, maybe he thought you were the person he was missing. He thought there was a chance you had come for him, maybe?”

“That’s possible, too. Should I remove myself from the team, do you think? Am I gonna traumatize him?”

“No, Rose, you’re not removing yourself.” Mickey leaned past Martha. “He’ll be fine. It was probably just shock.”

“Right.” Martha laid a hand on her thigh. “Let’s just see how things go tomorrow. I think that’s really considerate of you, though. Shows you’re a good scientist.”

Rose smiled. “Thanks, Martha.”

Mickey cut in. “I’m hungry for that pizza.”

“You’re always hungry, Micks,” Rose said.

 _“Shut up,”_ he replied, imitating her voice, to which she laughed. “Then I say we hit up the cinema. Donna texted earlier to say she’s showing an old monster movie marathon.”

“Yes! I love an old monster movie marathon!” Rose hopped a bit and clapped.

“It’s not called the best independently-owned cinema in Chiswick for nothing,” Martha added.

—

Once they were all inside the lab the next morning, Martha rattled off their to-do list. “Right, we’ve got to start taking his vitals today. I’ll go check on him. Rose and Mickey, you start getting the equipment around. We’ll also need to draw some blood for studying. You know the drill.”

“We’ll get right on that,” Rose said.

Martha walked over the enclosure and pulled on the door. “It’s locked. I didn’t do that yesterday.” She fished the key from her pocket and stepped inside. “Theta, I’m coming in. I hope you’re feeling better today.”

Theta was exactly as he’d been left yesterday, curled up on the bed, but his whole body was bare.

She gasped when she took a closer look, covered in bruises and cuts. “Jesus! What happened to you? Mickey! See if you can wheel that bed over here! Rose, prep an IV! He’s been beaten!” They wheeled him over to where Rose was waiting with an IV. “No apparent spinal injuries,” she announced, and she clipped a pulse oximeter on his finger. Her eyes widened at his erratic cardiograph and pulse rate of 200. “Holy _shit!”_

He pressed her hand to the left side of his chest.

Rose worried he was doing the same thing as the day before, but he’d pressed her hand to the center of his chest. He wanted Martha to feel his heart.

“But it wasn’t like that—”

He moved her hand to the right.

She drew it back like it she’d touched a hot stove. “T—no way. Two hearts?” She listened with her stethoscope.

He winced.

“Can’t we give him something for the pain?” Rose asked. “No anticoagulants in the cupboard.”

“We can’t until we know more about him. I feel terrible, but I’m not risking an allergic reaction to anything. His whole body is a mystery to us now. I don’t even want to give him any antibiotics for these cuts.”

“Yeah, I know.” She pulled a chair over and brushed a few stray hairs from his forehead. “Theta,” she said softly.

He struggled to open his eyes, as swollen as his right one was.

“We’re gonna do the best we can for you, yeah?" She reached for his hand. " Oh, it's cool. Are you cold?”

He shook his head and closed his eyes again.

She shuddered at his sharp intake of breath as Martha started dressing his wounds and stitching him up. Not hearing any cry or moan of pain was jarring. And she’d only seen him for a moment the day before, but he had a kind face, as tender as he'd been with her. How could anyone hurt him like this?

“I’m sure he’s got a few cracked ribs based on that bruising. We need to check elsewhere, too. Mickey, can you see about getting an X-ray machine delivered to us?”

“On it, boss.”

“Rose, look at this.” She was holding one of the wipes she’d used to clean his wounds. “His blood. It’s—”

“Dark orange,” she finished.

“That’s bizarre.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Of course I can’t draw any right now to examine it.” She rolled her eyes.

Rose shrugged. “Not like we’re leaving him anytime soon. We can wait a few days.”

She shook her head. “Sorry. I’m being insensitive.”

“You’re not. You’re doing your job.”

He squeezed Rose’s hand.

“Yes? Are you alright?”

He nodded.

“Do you need anything?”

He shook his head and closed his eyes again.

“Do you need to sleep?”

He nodded.

Rose fetched a blanket and covered him. She held his hand again.

“I’m also worried about internal bleeding,” Martha noted. “We might need to get our hands on some anticoagulants or something, though I’m hesitant about administering those.”

He squeezed her hand again.

“Yeah?”

He shook his head.

“No?” Martha asked.

“You mentioned the anticoagulant.”

“It’s for clotting. If you have internal injuries, you run the risk of forming clots. That could cause all sorts of problems. We don’t need you having a heart attack or stroke.”

He lifted his head with some effort and glared at her.

Martha crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Rose smiled in amusement at their standoff and squeezed his hand. “I know you’re probably in pain or discomfort, but there’s no need to be rude. You try caring for a mute patient you don’t know anything about.”

His face softened and he looked at Martha again.

She smiled. “It’s alright. I’m sorry we can’t do more for your pain.”

“X-ray machine will be delivered later today,” Mickey said as he returned to the group.

Rose shifted on her chair. “So do you all think this was done by the same person I’m thinking?”

Martha raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know anyone else who would’ve done it. Who else has access to the lab?”

“Let me check the log,” Mickey said as he walked back to his computer. “It’s been wiped since we left yesterday,” he called out over the divider. “And, interestingly enough, there’s no video or audio feed going out of this lab.”

Rose slapped her thigh. “Well, then! I have no qualms saying it was Saxon, the bastard. I could kill him.”

He squeezed her hand and shook his head.

“No? I don’t mean it.”

He smirked.

“Did you… did _you_ kill him?”

He shook his head slowly.

A smile crossed her lips. “You got him back?”

He nodded.

“I suppose we won’t be seeing him for a few days.”

He squeezed her hand.

“Good. I’m happy you were able to defend yourself.”

He sighed through his nose and closed his eyes.

She glanced at his hair. "Your plait is a mess. Do you want me to fix it?"

He reached up in panic behind his head and his face twisted in pain.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!" She backed away.

He curled in on himself a little, his hands covering his face.

She watched him for a while, feeling terrible for causing him so much pain. Why was he so protective of his hair?

Eventually, he reached out for her hand again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was important to you."

He patted her arm and sighed.

“I’ll let you sleep now, yeah?”

Mickey joined them. “You ladies want me to grab you something for lunch? I can make a food run.”

“Yeah, salad or something,” Rose said. She didn’t hear what Martha said. Rather, she was gazing at his face. Even with the swelling around his eye and the cuts on his cheek, he was beautiful. She only noticed then his hand was colder than before. “Martha, I think his temperature has dropped.”

She glanced at the pulse oximeter. “Yeah, his pulse has dropped, too.”

Rose stood over him. “Theta? Theta, are you alright?”

He groggily opened his eyes.

“You feel so cold. Do you need another blanket?”

He slowly reached up with some effort and cupped her cheek, brushing her skin with his thumb.

“He could be perfectly fine,” Martha mused. “He has two hearts. Maybe his body heals itself in a different way.”

He groggily lifted his hand.

“See? I guess all we need to do is monitor him until he wakes up.”

“I suppose,” Rose said softly.

“Maybe we could take shifts? One of us could stay through the evening. We’ve got that chemical shower.”

“I can stay tonight,” she offered.

Martha tilted her head. “You sure?”

Rose smiled a little. “Yeah, it’s no problem. If you wouldn’t mind bringing me some clothes and stuff in the morning. Toothbrush, deodorant, that sort of thing, and I’ll just clean up in the loo.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. I’ve got a spare key. I’ll stay tomorrow. And I’ll have Mickey put in for another bed.”

There wasn’t much they could do. On the X-rays, they couldn’t see any fractures, not directly. The image was cloudy in what seemed like random spots, like his leg, hip, ribs, all on one side like he’d been kicked or hit pretty thoroughly, but Mickey pointed out it was probably another way his body healed. Perhaps he had an extra concentration of… whatever at the fracture sites. They couldn’t be sure until they could perform some blood work.

Mickey and Martha stayed through dinner. When they left, Rose played with her mobile for a bit and watched a movie, read a novel she’d brought in her bag. She checked on his vitals once more before she curled up on the second bed with a blanket. She reached for his hand and drifted off to sleep.

—

_He sprinted through the woods. He could feel the life slipping from her with every passing second, her body pulsing with pain, but his feet couldn’t carry him fast enough._

_“Theta,” she said, “they’re still here. Don’t come, please. It’s a trap.”_

_“Lupa, I’m on my way! Hold on!”_

_“You won’t make it in time. Don’t be stubborn.”_

_“I’ll make it, I swear! I have to save you! ”_

_“Listen to me, you stupid man.” She sent him as much affection as she could. “You can’t. You’ve got to take care of the tribe now.”_

_“Our children—“_

_“They're gone, Theta, and I will be, too. Can you not feel it?”_

_He tripped over a tree root and stumbled to the ground._

_“These weapons, they are powerful. They struck us down before we could act. Their light went out almost immediately. Even I couldn’t protect them, and you won’t be able to bring them back. I won’t be able to protect you. Leave us.  You’ve got to protect the tribe now in my stead.”_

_He struggled to get up. “No. I’m coming for you. I’m not losing you.”_

_“Theta, I love you. I always have.”_

_He regained his footing, but tears blurred his vision and he was forced to slow down. “Don’t say that. This is not goodbye.” Her consciousness slipped further from his grasp. “Lupa, don’t let go! I can heal you if you just hold on!”_

_And then she was gone._

_He caught himself on a tree and retched._

_He wasn’t that far from the beach. If only he’d run harder. And now she was gone, and so were their children. He should have been on that beach with them. Sick kids in the village… he could have healed them at any time, and now his own children were dead for it. He never should have let Torchwood stay on the island for as long as they had. If only he’d worked harder to convince Lupa that the humans were dangerous._

_He staggered the rest of the way there. Their bodies were lying there, the sand around them stained with blood. Each step of his towards them was impossibly heavy._

_He knelt over his wife’s body, not even feeling the tears streaming down his cheeks. Her honey eyes were still open. Where light had been, they were now lifeless, her beautiful, proud gaze landing nowhere in particular. He wept as he closed them. He brought her hands, hands that had once touched him so lovingly, to his lips and held them to his chest, desperate to feel any spark of a connection he knew was no longer there. He couldn’t kiss her forehead for the hole the human’s weapon had left._

_He crawled over to the bodies of his two children and cradled them to his. Never again would he hear their laughter or singing. Their chests no longer rose and fell with the breath of life. Wasn’t it only a few years ago he’d held both of their tiny bodies against him in the same way, his hearts soaring with joy and his wife’s affection playing over their bond after their birth? He’d never get to see his daughter’s succession as head of the tribe when his and Lupa’s time was through, never get to pass down his gift to the mate of her choosing. He’d never get to speak the blessing over his son as he took his place in the order of priests._

_He glanced down the beach at the smoke still rising from the small fire in the pit and at the rest of the bodies, the other women who’d gone out to fish, and thought of all their families. What would he tell them? How would he explain his failure to them? Surely the men had secured the village by now and would be on their way. Yes, their presence was approaching, and they’d arrive soon._

_What would Lupa do? He scrambled for answers in his grief._

_Whomever attacked the beach, they could be lying in wait somewhere to ambush them. She’d said it was a trap. He needed to keep them away from the beach until he was sure it was safe. He had to warn them, to protect them._

_He tried to stand, but was knocked in the head by something, and he collapsed on the sand, his nostrils burning as he inhaled some of the grains. He reached up to feel his head and caught a figure standing over him._

_A man, blond, a sinister sneer on his face. “Theta. Pleasure to meet you finally. Don’t worry. Your village is unharmed. Don’t fight, or it will be.” He felt something stick in his neck. “You doubled the dosage, right? That’s what the Torchwood files said.”_

_“Sir.”_

_“Good. Load him up in the boat once he’s out. Leave the rest of the island. It’s only him we want. For now, anyway.”_

_The last thing Theta saw was the man’s grin of triumph, and then all went black._

—

Rose gasped awake, tears pouring out. She went to the loo and splashed her face with water.

Had she dreamed all of that? No, it had felt all too real. The weight of the bodies was still fresh on her chest… those children… she felt bile rising in her throat and leaned over the toilet.

Oh, god, that must have been what happened to him, and somehow she had seen it. How long ago was that? And… had that been Saxon at the end? The voice seemed so familiar.

She laid in her bed again and studied the man next to her. She counted the long seconds between his breaths, tracked his eyes moving beneath his eyelids. He was still dreaming.

She was left with such horrendous guilt, his horrendous guilt, and she cried for a while. Eventually she fell back asleep, but she didn’t take his hand again.

—

“Rose?” Martha’s voice shook her awake. “Did you sleep okay? You look a bit shit.”

“No, I didn’t,” she mumbled.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Do you want some coffee? I got you a thermos. I also brought you your things like you asked.”

“Actually, I kind of want to go home, if that’s alright.”

“Need to sleep in your own bed?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll be able to catch one of the shuttles on your way out. The night crew is leaving.”

“Thanks.” She sat on the edge of the bed and zoned out.

“Was it really that rough of a night? Did he have any issues? You know you could have called.”

“He’s fine, physically. No issues I saw. I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay.”

She inhaled and stood, stuffing the bag Martha had brought for her inside her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. She picked up the thermos and slipped on it. “Good coffee, though. Thanks, Martha.”

“No problem. Hey, call me if you want to talk, alright?”

“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Have fun with Mickey today.” She knew Martha wouldn’t mind spending the day with him, confirmed by her little grin.

When she made it home, she took a long hot shower and curled up on her bed.

When she woke, it was nearly supper time. She ordered Chinese and popped in a movie. When it arrived and she felt properly full, she sent Martha a video call.

Martha beamed when she picked up. “Hey, Rose!”

Mickey forced his face in the frame. “Wotcha!”

Rose laughed. “What are you two up to?”

“Making dicks on the hologram display. What else?”

“Mickey!” Martha laughed. “We are not, Rose. Don’t listen to him.”

“Martha, I wanted to apologize for earlier.”

“You looked pretty shaken. What happened?”

“Bad dream. I don’t wanna talk about it over the phone, though. Listen, I think it was his dream. I saw what he was dreaming.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was holding his hand again before I fell asleep. Do you think he has some sort of… I don’t know, touch powers? Telepathy? That's the word.”

“Maybe. We’ll have to do an MRI or something when he’s awake. Or CT scan. If he’s got telepathic powers, I don’t know how he might do with the magnetic field. His brain must be structured differently. I can’t wait to see that.”

“Martha, it was awful.” Her voice caught.

“Was it?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I saw what happened before he was captured.”

“Is it still fresh for you?”

“Yeah. It was so real. I’m not sure I could forget it anytime soon.”

“Write it down, if it’s not too much. Any sort of detail might be able to give us information on him or where he came from.”

“You’re right. I’ll get on that. I’ll see you both in the morning, yeah?”

“Yeah. Good night. Mickey said he wants to stay here tonight, too, but he won’t make you cover tomorrow’s shift. He’ll get that one, too.”

“Wow. Ta, Micks.”

“I won’t even cash it in for later,” he added.

“You're a good friend.”

He smiled.

“I’ll see you two tomorrow, yeah?”

“Alright. Bye, Rose!” Martha waved and cut off the call.

Rose watched her movie mindlessly for a while longer before finding some spare stationery and a pen. It didn’t strike her until she was writing that Lupa looked exactly like her. Same eyes, same facial structure. Sun bleached hair. No wonder he’d been so shaken when he first saw her.

And who was Torchwood?

—

Martha wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks as Rose finished her story. “That’s awful.”

Mickey started pressing keys on his keyboard. “That’s it. I’m blocking Saxon’s access to the lab.”

Martha glanced at Theta’s sleeping form. “I can’t even imagine. Are you okay, Rose?”

“Better than I was yesterday.”

“So you really do look like her?”

“It was eerie, yeah. I don’t know how it’s possible. This had to’ve been recent if Saxon was there, so I don’t think I’m some reincarnated version of her. I’m just a girl from the estates.”

She smiled a little. “You never know, Rose. Things keep getting more peculiar.”

“Like Alice down the rabbit hole.”

“Exactly.”

“And who is Torchwood? I’ve never heard of them. Are they different from Statten Labs?”

“Mickey! Have you heard of Torchwood?”

He called out, “Nope! I can do some research on them, though, if you like.”

“Yeah, please!”

“God, no wonder Saxon was leering on me. It’s probably some part of his weird power fantasy.”

“He’s one messed up dude.”

She scoffed. “Understatement of the year.” She walked over to Theta’s bed. “Did he remove some of his bandages?”

“Yeah. Look at the cuts on his face, or where they were. Completely healed. He also took out his IV. Feel his hand now.”

“Not as cold now.” She absentmindedly stroked his skin with her thumb. “And, wow, the swelling in his face is all but gone. So maybe he’s just regularly sleeping now?”

“Think so, yeah. We need to redo his X-rays to see if his fractures have improved.”

Martha spoke up. “You know what else I notice? He’s been lying in bed for two days. He doesn’t smell at all, no body odor.”

Rose giggled to herself. “Oh, god, sounds like the perfect man.”

“I know!” She laughed. “And no bed mess, either. This is so better than my residency. No catheter or bedpan to deal with. Everything about him is amazing!” She left to find Mickey.

She stared at his peaceful face for a moment. She hoped he had a moment of peace, anyway, from the nightmares that haunted him.

He squeezed her hand and slowly opened his eyes.

Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She wiped her cheek and turned away, but he caught her hand and made an effort to sit up. He winced a little. He watched her intently.

“I’m sorry.”

He tilted his head, furrowing his brow.

“You were dreaming, and I was in the bed next to you, and… I saw what happened. On the beach.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled.

“And… oh, I didn’t even think until now I wasn’t meant to see it. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have.” She stepped back, but he pulled her to himself and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry.” She sniffed. “That must’ve been horrible.” They embraced for a moment before she realized she was being hugged by a naked man, and a very attractive one at that, with the smoothest skin she'd ever felt. She stepped back from him, blinking at the sight of his chest and a blanket haphazardly covering his lower body. “Ehm, here.” She walked over to one of the medical cabinets and, thankfully, found a hospital gown. “You’ll have to put this on. You can’t go around starkers in our society like you might’ve done in the woods.”

He looked questioningly at the garment she’d placed in his hands, holding it up and turning it around.

“Oh. Stand.” She happily turned him away from her, noticing his broken leg was still a bit tender, but he seemed alright putting a little weight on it. She held the garment up in front of him for his arms and tied it in the back. “Tonight I’ll get some scrubs for you.”

He looked over his shoulder at her, and she giggled at the gown hitting just above his knees.

“I’ll try for some tall scrubs. You’re kind of a giant.”

He smiled and hugged her again.

“I really am sorry. Lie back down and we’ll do your X-rays again, yeah?”

When they did, his bones had practically mended with two days of a self-induced healing coma.

No wonder van Statten wanted him dissected.

—

When they arrived at the lab the next morning, to their amusement, he was leaning over one of the mass spectrometers.

Rose was nearly frozen on the spot at the sight. He’d taken his arms out of the sleeves and let the front of his gown hang freely. Luckily he’d kept it tied around his waist. Otherwise, she might have fallen over altogether. She honestly wondered if she'd ever get over how beautiful he was, comparable to any of Michaelangelo's marble works. Long, lean torso and lightly toned arms, the small spattering of chest hair. Not to mention that trail of hair lower on his--

“What the _hell!”_ Martha exclaimed.

The spell was broken as he managed to turn it on without flipping the switch.

“You’ve got, like, electricity powers or something! Every time we turn around, you amaze us with something new. We’re definitely not putting you in an MRI machine. You’d probably take the whole place down.”

Rose cleared her throat. “Might not be such a bad thing. The more we learn, the less safe I feel about him being here.”

“Yeah. I've been feeling the same. But let's start our blood work today, yeah? Rose, would you mind drawing a few vials while Mickey and I prep the microscope over here?”

“Eh…” She glanced over his form again, but this time, he noticed, and he tilted his head slightly. Which didn’t help her rosy complexion at all.

“Do you need me to do it?” Martha asked.

She swallowed and looked away. She could be clinical about this. “No, I'm good.” She fished in her bag for the scrubs she’d brought for him. “Let’s just… go change into these first, shall we?”

He grinned and happily followed her to the loo. A moment later, he was just as happy to be in some blue scrubs, and happy to be led to a chair by a stainless steel table as Rose gathered a few vials and a tube.

She tied the tourniquet around his arm and balled up her fist. “Do this a few times for me, will you? I need a good vein.” She swabbed his arm as a few swelled up. “I gotta poke you with this needle. I’m sorry.”

He pursed his lips and nodded.

“That is an odd color,” she remarked as the fluid traveled down the tube. “Deep orange, never seen that before. Is it always like that?”

He nodded.

“Is that why you’re healing faster? Something in your blood?”

He nodded again, the corner of his lips turning up.

She smiled a little. “I’m sure Martha will be excited about it.” She removed the vial from the line. “Speaking of--” she raised her voice, “Martha, I’ve got one ready if you are.” She attached a label as Martha poked her head around the divider and reached out her hand.

“I’ll have some more in a few moments.”

“Got it.” Martha smiled and disappeared again.

She worked the rest of the time in silence. She held a cotton ball to the needle. “Hold that there for me, thanks.” She pulled out the needle and stretched some blue adhesive gauze around his arm. “You probably don’t need it. Just a habit, I suppose.” She shrugged, and then she inhaled. “Listen, Theta.” She looked at him, and he was raising an eyebrow. “Oh. I’m stupid.” She giggled. “That’s all you can do.”

He broke out the most ridiculous grin.

She laughed even harder.

Martha appeared again to collect the rest of the vials. “Thanks, Rose.”

“You’re welcome.” She shuffled her foot, touching the toe of her trainer to the tile. “Theta, I only wanted to say I was sorry again about the other day.”

He reached for her hand and shook his head.

“I’m sorry for what you lost.”

He nodded and found something interesting to stare at on the stainless steel table, but he didn’t drop her hand.

“Was she amazing?”

He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips.

Rose thought he was lovely. “I wish you could tell me about her. I’m sure you have all sorts of stories.”

Martha poked her head around the corner of the divider. “Rose, come look at this!” She pointed at Theta. “Your blood is _amazing!”_

He smoothed a hand over his hair, grinning to himself.

Rose laughed. When she looked at him again, he was smiling at her with so much warmth. Her cheeks felt even warmer. “We should probably… go,” she said softly and pointing aimlessly, shifting her hair behind her ear as she pushed off the table and rounded the corner to join Mickey and Martha.

“Look at the monitor, Rose.” She pointed out the similarities to human blood, the use of cells to carry oxygen around the body. “Mickey’s running a few samples from that vial through the mass spectrometer so we can get a chemical composition. Obviously his body metabolizes everything in a different way, and that’s why his blood is tinted as it is.”

They turned their heads as Theta approached slowly, standing on the opposite side of Martha from Rose.

“But this!” Martha pointed at a little golden spec floating around the sample. “I suspect it’s similar to our platelets, and that’s what’s got him healing so quickly. I imagine that’s also what Saxon and van Statten are after.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You know, it makes me wonder what they already know.”

Rose caught it, the slight furrowing of his brow and the shadow that passed in his eyes, the clench in his jaw. “And what they want to do with it. Something tells me they’re not out to cure cancer.” 

“I’m going to work on encrypting our server,” Mickey said. “I don’t know how much those two will be peeking at our studies, and I know it's a private server, but I’m not going to let them use this information for evil.”

“Thanks.” Martha touched his arm lightly. “We’ve got to get access to the CT scanner. I need to look inside him.”

“I’ll put in a request right now,” Mickey answered.

“I want to scan his brain. I know he's got telepathy, but he’s obviously not from here, so how can he understand everything we’re saying? Is everyone mute in his society?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, they all can communicate telepathically over distance," Rose offered.

"And why can't he communicate with us, outside of shaking and nodding his head? Would you sit, please?"

Theta smiled at Martha’s command and took a seat on a stool.

“They also have a written language. May I?” She gestured at the smaller braid on his shoulder, and he nodded. She held the medallion on the end in the palm of her hand. “So this is his name, right? It’s a Greek letter. I’m interested to know where that came from, but on the other side is this symbol. It’s geometric with all these lines and tiny circles. What does it all mean?”

“We can go to the CT on Lower Level Five tomorrow morning,” Mickey reported. “They’ll grant us temporary access starting at nine, only valid for tomorrow.”

Martha continued. “And he’s able to manipulate electricity somehow, or a field of power or something. That's straight out of scifi. And Mickey, did you dig up anything on Torchwood?”

“No, not yet.”

Rose touched Theta’s shoulder. “If you can manipulate electricity, is that how you got Saxon?”

He nodded once.

“Well,” Martha said. “Would explain why we haven’t seen him. Injuries like that can be pretty severe.”

He nodded again, and he looked up at Rose for a moment, a bit unsure.

“Self-defense is completely alright.”

He covered her hand with his.

Mickey spoke up. “I received a message a few days ago. They said to confirm when we’re ready for the samples they’ve assigned to us. Cancer cells and such. Are we ready to give it a go?”

“Yeah,” Martha answered. “We can start our research tomorrow.”

“I’m really not comfortable doing this work anymore,” Rose said. “Curing cancer or no. Men like van Statten could take anything and make it into a weapon.”

“So what do you want to do?”

“I almost want to figure out a way to get him out of here.”

“A prison break?”

“It’s a daft idea. I’m sure it’s impossible, but anywhere outside would be better than in here. And then we need to figure out how to get him home.”

“No, it’s not impossible,” Mickey said. “Ol’ Henry’s not invincible like he wants everyone to believe. It’ll take a lot of planning. If you’re serious, we can find a way.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Us three? Against a near military complex?”

“We all have different skills. And I have some… connections, you might say. Resources.”

Martha looked pointedly at him. “What? Are you hiding something from us?”

“What connections?” Rose added.

He chuckled. “In time, I promise. Let’s seriously plan this out first. We probably shouldn’t do it here, though. The lab isn’t bugged, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

She smiled. “Chips at my place later? Are we really doing this? Are we crazy?”

“Just a little bit,” Martha said. “Let’s do this.”

Mickey held out his fist and the other two bumped it. Theta did as well, which they hadn’t expected, and they all laughed riotously.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Theta and Lupa's time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grab some tissues.

He padded silently through the woods towards the falls. She’d told him to meet her there when the moon had risen, near the entrance to the Eye of Harmony.

It was nigh on her ascension to the head of the tribe. They weren’t supposed to meet like this, but count on Lupa to do things her own way. She’d always been a bit… headstrong, and he loved that about her.

“Took you long enough,” she teased.

“Sorry. Had to sneak out.”

The pounding of the water drew nearer.

“The moon’s quite lovely. The water’s nice. You should join me for a swim.”

He stumbled a bit at that, the wheels in his mind spinning faster than his feet, but then he ran, and he finally reached the lake.

The sight he beheld was breathtaking. He’d only been to the waters at night a few times, but the light from the Eye had never been this bright from inside the falls, illuminating the sand beneath the water on the opposite shore.

Even more beautiful was the sight of Lupa beneath the water, her long, blonde hair flowing behind her as she swam.

She broke the surface and grinned. “If your jaw hangs open any longer, it might get stuck that way.”

His gaze fell to the ground and he chuckled.

She’d always flustered him after they’d grown out of childhood, always knew how to tease him just right. And when the other girls in the tribe had gone after the more attractive boys, none of them sparing him a second look, she’d remained his friend. It wasn’t uncommon to find them out on adventures in the forest. Once they’d return, they’d both be reprimanded heavily, but they’d shrug it off and run off again a few days later. And always, without fail, she’d flash him that smile as they raced through the undergrowth and reach for his hand, and they’d run even faster.

Time passed, and they couldn’t run away as much. Lupa’s time was approaching, and she needed to prepare. He’d been hand-picked by the Head Priest as one of the young men to enter the Order of the Light. He didn’t suspect until later it was because Lupa’s father had known about them.

He missed his friend. He still saw her on occasion, and she’d smile… and over time, that smile had changed. He found something new in her eyes as she passed him in the village, and it made him feel… odd. His hearts would pound a bit faster and his skin would flush. And when his eyes had lingered on her in her ceremonial garb during their rituals, she’d grin even wider, and the tip of her tongue would show…

It was love, he’d decided. What he felt was love. He could only hope the rumors were true, that she’d choose him to be her husband, her partner, her mate…

He’d find himself uncontrollably showing off while the tribe went out fishing on the sea, desperate to feel her attention on him. He’d row his boat away from the others and jump into the water, catching a fish by hand and holding it up triumphantly for her to see. And it usually worked. He didn’t care if the rest of the tribe couldn’t take him seriously as long as he could make her laugh with his ridiculous antics.

All that boldness was gone by the side of the lake that evening. It was clear she meant their rendezvous to be more intimate than a childhood romp through the forest or a lingering gaze.

“Are you going to stand there forever while I enjoy this water by myself, Theta?”

He looked up. “What would you bid me do?”

“You can come here if you like. I don’t bite.”

He breathed deeply and removed his vest. Dare he say it? “I might not mind if you do.”

She laughed. “You’re quite handsome, you know. A far cry from the long and gangly Theta I once knew. Though I thought so then, too.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He inhaled again before shedding his trousers. It wasn’t uncommon to go about bare on the island on occasion, but this was different. He slowly pushed the garment down and stepped out of it.

“Quite handsome indeed.”

He blushed deeply at her sweeping gaze before stepping into the water. Thankfully, it cooled his hot flesh as he swam to her.

“Hello,” she said, a bit timidly, to his surprise.

“Hello,” was all he could say in return.

They nervously laughed, and she stepped towards him. He hesitantly placed a hand on her waist and pulled her to him.

“I’ve missed you,” she said.

“Me, too.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been a bit busy.”

“No, no, it’s alright. You’ve got important… things to do, and all.”

She wound her arms around his neck, rising up out of the water and delighted in the feel of his embrace. “Not as important as being with you.”

He inhaled sharply at the feel of her breasts pressed to his chest.

Her eyes desperately searched his. “But that can change soon.”

“I’d like it to,” he whispered.

“I worried for a long time you hated me for leaving you.”

“No. No, I could never, Lupa.”

She closed the distance between them, and they sweetly, slowly, moved together, giving care to each lip with every pass. He dared to swipe his tongue along her bottom lip, and her arms tightened around him as she allowed him to explore.

His hand traveled down her back, over her bum, to her thigh and he drew up her leg around his waist. She wrapped the other around him, and for a moment, it seemed like they couldn’t be close enough to each other.

She pulled away and grinned at him.

He grinned right back and tipped them both into the water, her back first.

“Theta!” She laughed and released her grip on him, swimming away a fair bit.

“Hey, come back!”

“You’ll just have to catch me.”

They played like that for a while, kissing again when they caught each other.

Eventually, they swam for the shore. Lupa had brought a few blankets with her so they could dry themselves. She wrapped herself in one and tied his long hair up so it was off his back and plaited her own. They sat for a while, gazing up at the stars and pointing out different constellations, telling the old stories even though they’d heard and recited them countless times.

“Theta,” she said.

“Yes?”

“The light…”

He looked out into the water, towards the falls. The light was pulsing slowly, growing intense and dying back down, growing intense and dying back down again.

“Idris,” he whispered.

“Seems like she has something to say.”

“It’s been cycles since she spoke last, since before me. Well, outside of… you know.”

She bit her lip, her eyes lingering on his.

The blessing of bonding was the end of that sentence.

“Must be important then. We mustn’t keep our lady waiting, yeah?” She stood and pulled him up.

“No, we mustn’t.”  

They walked along the shore, hand in hand, towards the path along the great stone walls that would take them behind the falls, and they entered the cavern. The light from the Eye engulfed them for a moment, and when it receded, Lupa was gone.

Theta looked around in panic, failing to notice a woman with dark hair standing before him.

“Don’t worry, my child. She is safe,” Idris said.

He quickly knelt when he realized who she was.

"Stand, Theta. I've never been one for all the pretense, if I'm honest."

“Where is Lupa?”

“She is having her own vision of me, much like yourself.”

“Vision?”

“Yes. Theta, I have something important to tell you, and I fear it will break your heart, but I must share it now.”

He stared, every hair of his standing on end at her warning.

“There will come a time of great danger, and not even I will be able to protect you or her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lupa will die.”

“No. You’re lying.” His fist clenched.

“I am not.”

“You’re wrong!”

“I am sorry. And you will be ripped from Gallifrey. But I… yes, I am sending someone to you, and she will keep you safe. You can trust her. Follow the star, and she will bring you home."

“I don’t understand. How can I be taken from here?”

“Have you forgotten the tales of old, of the outside world?”

“No,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Much is changing beyond the realm of our land since we've been hidden.”

“Can’t you stop whatever is coming?”

“No. I can influence events, but I cannot change the flow of time. And I have to keep this vision hidden. You won’t remember it until the proper time. For now, I suggest you bond with Lupa. It is the only kindness I can spare. I wish I could do more.”

He took a step back. “Now? Before the ritual? Her mother would kill me if she found out!”

“Theta Sigma.” She laughed. “Do you think I have not considered that? It will be concealed until the proper time. Go.”

When he blinked, Lupa was standing before him. He couldn’t remember what he’d seen, or that he'd even had a vision, but the light had left him with such a burning for her, and the light burning in her eyes revealed she felt the same. She pressed her hand to his chest, and they were gone.

They were a mess of tangled bodies and minds by the end of it, still tingling from the light that had enveloped them at the height of their pleasure. Sated and boneless, he buried his face in her neck.

“Theta,” she whispered. She caressed his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

“Lupa?”

“My vision. It’s time to tell you.”

“But this…” He sat up. “No, this is not how it happened.”

“You’re dreaming right now. It’s alright. This is a dream. Lay with me again.”

Tears filled his eyes as he noticed the age on her face, how she’d matured to the woman she was when she’d died.

He suddenly felt weary. He was dreaming again, in the lab. This was only a memory, and a part of the memory he hadn’t experienced yet.

“It’s alright, Theta.”

“I’ve remembered this night so many times. It’s the only thing that keeps me going.”

“I know. Come here.” She wrapped him in her arms as he sobbed into her chest.

“I miss you so much. I ache for you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Can I stay right here? With you?”

“No.” She laughed lightly. “You have to wake up eventually. I’m gone, and have been for a few months by now. You have to accept it. Your people need you to fight to return home. They need you. The rose and the doctor and the spy, they’ll help. Are they taking good care of you?”

“Yes.” He sniffed.

“And because I know you… if you want to love her, you can. I don’t mind. You needn’t feel guilty for it.”

Rose. The kind, compassionate human. Who’d cared for him when he’d been broken. It pained him sometimes to look at her, because she did carry her likeness and some of the same mannerisms, but he’d come to accept her friendship the same. All of them, of course, but hers especially. She was gentle and sincere and he could make her laugh, and that gave him hope.

And that morning, when she’d blushed at the sight of him… she found him attractive, that much was clear. And she was beautiful in her own right.

“Idris wanted to send my likeness out into the world to find you and bring you home, someone you’d know you could trust. And I know how you can’t resist my smile. It’s only a matter of time, and when you do fall, please do it with all your heart. I’ve had my time with you and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”

He closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent and reveling in the pressure of her hand on his chest.

She threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “I love you, Theta. Please don’t give up.”

When he lifted his head, her face had become young again, as young as it had been on the night they’d bonded.

“Why are you crying?” She had asked that, he remembered.

As a young man, he wouldn’t have known of their conversation. He’d been crying because he was filled with such love for her. His answer hadn’t changed, in spite of what he’d just seen.

“Because I love you.” He kissed her, and they’d made love again before running back to the village. They had to beat the rising sun to avoid being caught.

The next few days had been filled with so many stolen touches of the mind. When they couldn’t sneak away in the night, they’d teased each other from a distance into fits of passion.

The ceremony took place. Lupa had been crowned as Chief, and when her mother had asked who she’d determined her mate should be, she gazed around at the men, giving them a good eyeful… but only to drive Theta mad. She’d only ever had eyes for him, and everyone had known it for some time. The other priests looked down in shame and remorse that they were never even up for consideration.

The tribal council had escorted them to the falls, having had prepared the cavern for their bonding, and then left them to their own devices.

“At least we get a comfortable bed this time,” she remarked. “That stone wasn’t very comfortable the other night.”

“I heard no complaints from you. Only shouts of pleasure.”

She pushed him back on the bed. “And now it’s time for me to return the favor.” She crawled over him, the filthiest look on her face.

Later, those in the village had remarked they’d never seen the bonding light so bright as they had that evening.

They just grinned at one another and laughed to themselves.

\--

Theta slowly opened his eyes at the sound of the bars opening, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He looked over his shoulder, expecting Martha was there to wake him, but it wasn’t Martha.

It was Rose, and he startled a little at the sight of her, quickly wiping his cheeks.

She furrowed her brows. “Are you alright?”

He nodded and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, sniffing.

“We talked it out last night, the three of us, about getting you out of here, and we’ve got a plan.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio makes a plan.

Rose set her Chinese takeaway box on her table after the friends had casually reminisced about movies they’d seen recently at Donna’s cinema, as if they weren’t about to break someone out of prison. They all seemed to need the distraction for a moment. She, however, was never one to beat around the bush. “So, about this elephant in the room.”

Mickey said, “Before we take this conversation anywhere, I need to clarify something.”

Martha looked worried. “What’s that?”

“I know who Torchwood is.”

She sat up. “Are you serious?”

Rose was incensed. “You’ve known this whole time and you didn’t say anything?”

“There’s a good reason for that, I promise.”

She slammed her fist down on the table. “And what fucking good reason is that, Mickey Smith? If that is even your real name.” She pointed accusingly.

“Yes. Well, now it is. Used to be Rickey when I was just a punk, but I had my name legally changed. And the reason is because they’re van Statten’s number one enemy, and I work for them.”

Martha blinked. “You… work for Torchwood?”

“And what the bloody hell did they have to do with what happened to Theta?!”

“First of all, Torchwood is nothing like Statten Labs. We’re an organization that truly works for the betterment of the world. We also deal with weird science, but it’s not like Statten, I promise. And we’re looking for ways to take him down.”

“What about the harm to Theta and where he’s from?” Rose demanded.

He held out his palms. “Rose, let me explain that. I wasn’t involved in that particular case, but my boss let me get intimately acquainted with the files.”

“So you’ve known about him this whole time? I can’t believe this!”

Martha still wouldn’t look at him.

“Look, I had no idea what we signed up for. After we went home that first day, I contacted my boss immediately, and he's been working on a plan since. I’ve been letting you two lead the research. Having looked at the files, I’ve been so impressed with what you’ve been able to figure out without knowing anything.”

“So, what, we’ve been your experiment, too?”

“No. It’s not like that, I promise. Look, Torchwood can’t just go in guns blazing to save him. It’s impractical.”

Martha sighed. “Can you… just start at the beginning of all this? How you got involved with Torchwood? What they have to do with Theta?”

“Yeah. I…” He scratched his temple. “Eh, got in a bit of trouble a while back. I was a hacker. Pretty good at it, too. I managed to get past some high-level firewalls in the government. Next thing I know, I was picked up by MI5. I got this barrister who showed up out of nowhere and managed to get me out of prison time with some service time.”

“Torchwood?” Rose crossed her arms.

“Yeah. They took me in. I didn’t have anyone but me gran, and she died. Once she passed, I was pretty much going nowhere, had no direction. Torchwood turned my life around. Captain Jack, that’s what we all call him, the big guy in charge, he’s a good man. I promise you it’s not awful like you think it is.”

Martha sighed and leaned on her elbows on the table. “Maybe Rose wouldn’t be so upset… it’s not that you work for Torchwood, but it’s the secrets. You’re our friend. Seems like friends shouldn’t keep secrets. I’m starting to understand there are reasons for it, but it hurts a little. Almost like you don’t trust us.”

“No, that’s not true. I’m sorry. I really am. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me by the end of this.”

She smiled a little at that.

Rose prompted, “Go on about Theta.”

“Yeah.” He shifted in his seat. “Few years ago, Torchwood started picking up on these readings out in the middle of the ocean, out in the north Atlantic, intermittently. They matched it up with any and every calendar. Turns out, it was, of all things, supermoons. The readings could only be picked up on nights of supermoons.”

“Supermoons?”

“Wait.” Martha slapped the table. “Oh, but that’s… think about it, Rose. The electricity thing that he does, and the moon’s gravitational pull that affects the tides and such. Something about the moon must have, I don’t know, amplified whatever energy readings were being picked up.”

Mickey grinned. “Exactly. Torchwood packed up and set out to see what it was. So, think Wonder Woman.”

“What about it?” Rose asked.

“Themyscira.”

“Hidden island? You found a hidden island?”

“Yep. Straight out of sci-fi, I know, but it was there.”

“And this civilization was on this island.”

“Yes. We have no idea how they evolved or even if they're originally from Earth.”

“And you all thought it was a good idea to camp out and study them? Like nothing bad could ever come of that?”

“Right. We know that now, in hindsight. And we have no idea how Statten got a hold of those files. We’re thinking there’s a mole in Torchwood, just like I’m working for van Statten. Believe me, we’re combing through everything to find out who it was.”

“What was in the files?” Martha asked.

“Well, I think when you do the CT scan tomorrow, you’ll find that his epiphysis cerebri is larger than a human’s. That’s what gives him telepathic abilities. He can automatically translate everything we’re saying because of that. Something about being able to read the other parts of our brains while we’re speaking to understand the words. Our linguists even came up with a fake language, and they could understand.”

Rose’s eyes widened. “He can read minds?” Did he know what she thought of him?

“Essentially. But not, like, what you’re thinking. It’s got to be spoken.”

She studied her fingernails. “Oh. Good.”

“The human brain and his brain operate at different frequencies. His is higher, of course. That’s why you were able to see his dream. You were holding his hand. Skin-to-skin contact, and his brain was working at a frequency compatible with ours, and only at certain stages of sleep.”

“Right place, right time, basically. Did Torchwood do experiments or something?”

“No, they only collected data.”

“Theta felt like what happened was his fault because of Torchwood.”

“Yeah, here’s the thing. Lupa, she was open to interaction, but he never was. And, yeah, it sort of is our fault. If Torchwood hadn’t collected data, van Statten wouldn’t have gotten hold of it.”

“What about that energy Torchwood detected?” Martha asked.

“Theta wouldn’t ever let us get near it. He was very protective. We think he was some sort of guardian of it, being Lupa’s mate. It’s some sort of… life force, we think, or they could regard it as a deity, even. The agents there would see it at night, light coming from somewhere on the island. We never figured it out, and we wouldn’t pry because we didn’t want to lose their trust. But we do know they can live for a long time. They’re not immortal, but we’re thinking hundreds of years, maybe more, if something doesn’t happen to them.”

“They wanted him specifically, though. Why?”

“One of the agents was hurt, took a nasty fall while exploring the island. Theta healed him.”

“Statten wanted to find out how.”

“Yeah. And we know we messed up, and we want to do anything possible to help get him back.”

Rose spoke up. “Wait. You’ve been working with us for a while now. How long ago was Theta picked up?”

“It’s been a few months, we think, since Saxon got a hold of him. It’s been that long since the last supermoon.”

“What the _fuck_ has Saxon been doing with him for months?”

“I don’t think any of us want to know the answer to that. And we had no idea he’d been taken, or we would have gotten at him earlier.”

“Well, you’re not keeping him at Torchwood when we break him out. I don’t think he’d want that, and I certainly don’t want to keep him in a lab again.”

“Where do you want him to go, then?”

She shrugged. “He can stay with me. Can’t Torchwood do some sort of protection even if he’s not at your facilities?”

“Yeah, we can. So, what do you think? How do we bust him out of there?”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “Shouldn’t Torchwood have a plan? You’re the ones with access to resources, and you need to clean up the mess you’ve made.”

“We do, yeah, but I wanna know what you would do.”

She thought for a moment. “No guns blazing… what if we could just, I don’t know, get him out through a back door or something?”

“And how would we get him out without someone noticing? That hair and beard aren’t exactly inconspicuous.”

“We’d have to put him in some normal clothes, I suppose. I could cut his hair. Make him look a bit more London than wilderness man. Put him in a hat. Fake glasses. That sort of thing.”

“Can Torchwood make him some credentials?” Martha posed.

“We can do that. What else?”

Rose began cleaning the table, picking up their boxes and throwing them in the trash. “How soon can he get back to the island?”

“Two weeks? We need him to lie low for a bit while Torchwood makes it look like we're running this big operation."

"Sort of like a shell game?"

"Exactly. "

“We’ve got to do this before he starts checking up on us again.”

"Right. We need to have him out in two days, by my estimation. Gives us a day to prep everything. Plant an employee record, notify other Torchwood agents inside, that kind of stuff. It’s only been a few days since we’ve started our work, a day less since Saxon disappeared. We'll think of something to distract him, too. Because with the technology Statten's got, I can't imagine he's not on the mend. Maybe we'll drain his bank account or something. Identity theft. Once we have him out, the other Torchwood agents and I will clean up afterwards, and we’ll make it look like it was us. They won’t suspect either of you. Especially when we show up the next morning and put in the call that he's missing.”

“What about cameras and all that? When we're getting him out for real?”

He grinned. “See, Rose, you’d make a great agent. And you, too, Martha, of course.”

Martha said sheepishly, “I might need to find something new after all this is done. No way I’m staying with Statten.”

Mickey smiled, and they were awkwardly silent for a moment.

Rose cleared her throat. “Aaaaaanyway, cameras?”

“I’ll get a hold of our guy in security.”

"Well. I guess it's sorted, then?"

"Yeah."

"Wanna watch a movie or something?" Martha asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I kinda want to sleep," Rose answered.

"Mickey?"

"Let's get some ice cream or something. My treat."

Martha smiled. "Yeah. You owe me big time, mister."

\--

Rose tossed and turned in her bed later that evening, her mind replaying the whole conversation.

She thought of Theta, how lonely he must have been for a while, how lonely he must be when they leave. He seemed to enjoy their company a bit. She was happy he wouldn’t be alone for much longer.

She thought of Mickey’s comment, about the deity or life force or whatever on the island. She wasn’t particularly religious herself, never had been.

She sighed. Obviously, whatever it was couldn’t hear her, but she decided to say a few words anyway. “I promise I’ll bring him home.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Big Cut(tm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saxon douchebaggery ahead.

“It’s only hair, Theta. You can grow it out when you get back to the island.”

After Rose had explained the plan, he’d laid back down and stroked his plait across his chest. She’d left to prep her clippers and line the floor so the area could easily be cleaned. When she returned, he was in the same position.

Rose sighed, not impatiently, but wishing to understand. “Why is it important?”

He glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t get you out of here unless I cut your hair. Does it mean something? Does it mean you’re important in the tribe?”

He didn’t respond.

“Or… is it sentimental to you?”

He slowly blinked.

“Oh.” She nodded and looked at the floor. Probably had something to do with Lupa, and she was intruding. Considering he was countless miles away from home, his hair was the only physical thing that linked him to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wish there was another way.”

She heard him shift on the bed, and when she looked up again, he’d untied his hair and combed his fingers through it.

“That’s… a lot of hair.” She smiled lightly. “And thanks for understanding. Come on, let’s get you fixed up.”

“Good to go?” Martha asked.

“Yep,” she replied.

\--

 _Time to check on the rats,_ thought Saxon. Remind them he still had an eye on them. He smoothed his hand over the blotchy scars on his jaw and neck in the mirror of his private office lavatory.

He descended in the elevator to the lobby and passed the security desk.

\--

“Shit,” muttered Mickey as he glanced at his phone. “Saxon’s coming. I guess HR gave him access again. Torchwood’s gonna hack and drain his account. He’ll get a call in a few moments, but not in enough time to stop him.”

Rose’s eyes widened and she scrambled to hide the clippers and the tarp for the floor in a cupboard. When she returned, Theta had made an effort to tie up his hair, and she was grateful for the gesture.

Martha had set about synthesizing some more of Theta’s blood with different liquid compounds and had set Theta down near the workstation, and Mickey had brought up some visual on the computer monitor. Rose couldn’t tell what it was, but she didn’t have time to sort it before the door beeped.

“Nice to be back,” Saxon announced as he entered. “I was missing this lab terribly.”

Rose’s heart pounded for an entirely different reason now. Her fists clenched by her side. “What’s that on your face? Did you get a tattoo to reflect the ugliness in your heart?”

Saxon laughed a little. “Yeah, he’s a pretty talented artist. Has a penchant for blondes, too, I’ve noticed.”

Martha interrupted before Rose could light into him. “Why did the cat drag you in today, Saxon?”

“Simply checking on your progress and all, seeing as how your research belongs to us, no matter how you feel about it. You signed the contracts. It’s only fair.”

“Oh, we’re doing just fine, thanks. As you can see, we’re starting to synthesize his blood with the different samples you’ve provided. And you can leave. We don’t need your supervision for this.”

“I think I’ll stand here for a while and watch, if it’s all the same.”

They tried to ignore him for a few moments, waiting anxiously for a call that maybe wasn’t coming.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

Rose jumped at the voice in her ear. He’d approached her from behind without her noticing. “Leave me alone.”

Theta stood at that.

The hairs on her neck and arms rose. She shivered at the look in his eyes, something wild and dark, like a storm.

Saxon merely smirked. “Go ahead,” he taunted. “Do it again. Let her see it this time. Let her see what a monster you are.”

She spoke through gritted teeth. “Leave me the fuck out of this. The only monster here is _you.”_ Then she gently touched Theta’s arm.

His eyes snapped to hers at the gesture.

“You, sit back down. He’s only trying to provoke you. I can take care of myself.” She turned him towards the monitor again and pulled on his shirt so he’d sit. She glared at Saxon over her shoulder.

He opened his mouth to say something else when his mobile rang. “Excuse me.” He turned away from the group. “What? No. How could that happen?” He threw the phone against the wall with a nasty crack and a “Bloody hell!” and he stormed out of the lab.

Rose exhaled and closed her eyes. She felt a hand in hers, cool to the touch, and she squeezed it. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and patted the other. “Hair. Let’s get this sorted. The sooner we get you out, the better.” She set about fixing up the chair again. “Martha, come here and give me a second opinion.” She let down his hair and combed through it with her fingers. “What do you think? Short in the back, long on top? If only I had some pomade. Ooo, his beard… that would make some lovely sideburns, yeah?”

Martha raised an eyebrow. “Whatever, Rose. You’re the one who’s going to have to look at him every day.”

She shrugged and fished her shears out of her bag. “I suppose.”

“I’m gonna help Mickey. He’s working on infecting the labs with some sort of virus, something about financial records or some such. Definitely going to erase any data we’ve collected, so it’ll protect him.” She nodded at Theta.

“Sounds about right.” She combed through his hair again. “I’m sorry about having to do this.”

He shrugged.

“Your hair is so soft. My mum would’ve held you hostage to figure out how you’ve kept it so nice. Now, there was a person to be afraid of. She’d eat Saxon’s head for breakfast.” She giggled. “She’s gone now, been for a while. I’m on my own. She’s the one who taught me how to do hair.” He turned his head, but she stopped him. “You can’t move while I’m working, or I’ll just end up having to shave the whole thing off. And after seeing you with all this hair, I don’t think bald would be the way to go.” Her giggle turned into a laugh. “I’m thinking of those pictures on the internet, those hairless cats. They’re really quite, ehm, well, they’re different underneath all the fur. Like a little alien.” Then she laughed at the look on his face, the squinting eyes and pursed lips. “You probably have no idea what I mean. I’ll show you when we get out. Or maybe I shouldn’t. No, I won’t spoil you with the internet. It’s an awful place, really. Don’t ever go there.” She tied his hair back so she could cut through most of it at once. “I wonder how long you’ve been growing this out. A long time, of course. You’re practically immortal.” She suddenly felt very small next to him.

He glanced over his shoulder, trying to read her face.

"Look ahead," she directed when it seemed too much. "We’ve got to get working. And…” She cut through the long strands and handed him the bundle. “There. That didn’t hurt at all, did it?” She handed him the smaller braid, the one with the medallion attached. “You can keep that one, but the rest has to go to Mickey. He’ll dispose of it at Torchwood so there’s no evidence here.” She set to work on the rest of it. He was a little wary of the clippers at first, but once she’d made a pass or two, he relaxed. After she finished with his hair, she worked on his beard. She tried to ignore the feel of his breath on her skin while she had to be close to his face. When she finished, she stepped back to survey her work.

He was _gorgeous._ Not that he wasn’t before, but now that she could see his face behind all that hair, she couldn’t tear her eyes away, and he didn’t shy away from her attention. And then she remembered to breathe, and her cheeks were terribly warm. “I’ll just… clean up now.” She worked for a few moments in silence, disposing of the tarp and sweeping up stray hairs into a bag.

He was still watching her as she finished.

Her gaze fell to the floor. “You’ll have to bathe so you can keep up with your hair until you leave. I can’t expect you’ll want to stay cooped up the whole time, and our society has certain expectations on grooming habits. I’ll show you how to style it. Someone over at Torchwood is putting together a wardrobe for you. Ianto, I think his name is. Nothing complicated. He needs your basic measurements, so I’ll have to take care of that next.” She pulled the measuring tape out of her bag and thought she might combust. Clearly, she hadn’t thought this through when she agreed to it, because having to be so close to a gorgeous man was a struggle at the moment. She didn’t say much except to give him directions to lift his arms or his foot so she could measure it for shoes. She certainly didn’t make eye contact, and certainly not while she measured his inseam.

Surely he wasn’t stupid. Surely he had to be picking up on how she felt. Surely he must think her foolish.

This was a man who was still very clearly attached to his wife, even if she was dead, and here she was lusting over him. Well, not purely lust, if she were honest. She genuinely enjoyed his company and his warm personality, in spite of their communication barrier.

How was she going to handle having him around her flat? Especially when nobody else was around?

No. Two weeks. she could handle that. Then he’d be gone forever.

“Wow. Nice job, Rose.”

She scribbled her last measurement and smiled at Martha. “Thanks. He looks like one of us now.”

“Yeah. He’ll blend right in tomorrow.”

She swallowed. Their work wasn’t finished.

\--

Theta tossed a bit on his little bed that night. He couldn’t get Rose off his mind, and guilt weighed on him for it.

Hadn’t he just been weeping over Lupa? Hadn’t he only held her in his dreams the night before?

But she’d said… _“It’s only a matter of time, and when you do fall, please do it with all your heart.”_

She’d given him her blessing and reminded him she was gone. Seems like Idris’s timing was impeccable, as if that could ever have been doubted. And yes, he missed her terribly, and he always would, he knew… but Rose was working her way into his hearts.

She was so strong, and her courage had not wavered in the face of that awful man.

And then she’d taken care of him. He loved the sound of her laugh, and he loved hearing it out loud, rather than in his head. She’d run her fingers through his hair and touched his cheeks, a feeling he’d never been able to resist. Even if she was working, she was still so tender. He didn’t care for his new hair and smooth face, but when she looked at him as she had, what did it matter?

And why had she grown bashful as the day wore on? Why was she hiding from him? That wasn’t like her.

Perhaps she thought he was displeased? Far from it. If only he could speak… well, he’d simply have to show her, wouldn’t he?

\--

Rose clipped his mock credentials to his lab coat. They’d dressed him in some jeans and stylish trainers, along with a hoodie, cap, and glasses. “Anywhere outside, we’re going to call you John. Can you remember that?”

He nodded.

“Mickey’s walking out first. You need to catch the elevator behind him. Let the others push the buttons and don’t make eye contact with anyone. Follow everyone out of the lobby and the front door. Apparently, Torchwood’s got someone on security, so you’ll be able to get out without a problem so long as you aren’t obvious. You won’t be too far behind him, so get on the same shuttle as Mickey. Sit anywhere you like or with him and just follow him off the bus, and then he’ll scan his card to cover your fare on the next route back to my flat. Martha and I will close up things here and leave together after you. Don’t look for us, yeah? Your shuttle should be gone by the time we get on ours.”

He nodded again and smiled.

“Mickey, order a pizza or something, and we’ll get there when we get there.”

“Got it, boss.”

\--

Rose and Martha picked a seat on the bus, the former making good work of her cuticles with her teeth.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Martha reassured, tugging her friend’s hand away from her mouth. That habit had always driven her spare. “We didn’t see any commotion on the way out. He must have made it out the door. The security guard would have let us know if anything was wrong.” As if by summons, her mobile vibrated in her pocket. “Yeah Micks? … Okay.” She hung up. “They’re fine. They’ll see us back at the flat.”

She exhaled and took off her lab coat, holding it in front of her to cover the ridiculous smile she couldn’t seem to stop wearing the whole way home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theta and Rose's first few days together are... interesting. Little bits of humor and angst and fluff. Some mature stuff at the end of the chapter... or is there????????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you've read this chapter already. I decided to re-update since ao3 was being buggy last night. 
> 
> Chapter 7 is almost complete! I expect to have it up this weekend or the next.

Rose practically ran up the steps to her door and flung it open, her chest heaving. “Mickey? Theta?”

“Over here!” Mickey called. They were already enjoying a few slices of pizza at her small table around the corner.

Theta greeted her with a brilliant smile and he spun her around.

She laughed as he put her down. “I’m glad you’re happy. Feels good to be out, yeah?”

He nodded and held so tightly to her hand.

Mickey spoke up. “Martha, get a slice or two, and let’s head to your place?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Her smile faded. She’d known Mickey would have to go off-grid for a while, but now that reality was in front of her, she didn’t seem so happy with the prospect.

After they’d left, Theta went back to the table for another slice.

Rose took stock of her refrigerator. “I suppose we need to make a Tesco run so we’ll have food for the next couple of days. I have some frozen vegetables. I can make you shepherd’s pie, my mum’s recipe, since she’s not here. She’d be giving you the third degree right now, me bringin’ a bloke home.” She grinned at him.

He held up the last slice for her.

“Nice to see you all left one for me.”

He stopped chewing and held up his for her.

She giggled. “No, it’s alright. I’d rather eat chips anyway. We can stop on the way to the Tube.”

\--

Donna Noble prided herself on her little cinema. It had been a wedding gift from her husband, Lee, and she fixed it right up and opened it for business. People particularly enjoyed the classic movies she showed.

She loved being a landlord on the same little street. She loved the friends she’d gotten to know who’d moved into her flats, Rose and Martha, and their friend Mickey.

Currently, she was in the box office prepping for the evening shows when she spied Rose crossing the street, presumably to make a stop at her favorite chip shop. Not only was she crossing the street presumably to make stop at her favorite chip shop, but she was doing so while holding the hand of a rather tall, skinny bloke. Holding his hand with a huge grin on her face.

Is that why she hadn’t heard from Rose in a few days? She’d been spending time with a new beau? Maybe it was time for a visit.

\--

Theta was incredibly delighted at the salty, vinegary potatoes. She had to make another two orders for his seemingly bottomless stomach.

Rose almost felt like a mum with a toddler once they’d made it to the store, a mixture of amusement and panic at his antics. He was fascinated by everything, especially the banana he picked up and peeled without her noticing.

“Sir, you have to pay for that.”

She looked up at the reprimanding voice and Theta’s wide eyes. (He didn’t bother to stop chewing, though.) “I’m sorry! He’s from out of town. Doesn’t speak any English. Raised by wolves, that whole bit.” She fished a few coins from her purse and handed them to the manager. “I hope that banana’s really good,” she said as she turned to him.

He swallowed and nodded vigorously, bits of banana stuck between his teeth as he grinned.

She rolled her eyes a bit, in spite of her own smile. “I’ll thank you kindly not to get us thrown out of the store.” She picked two bunches of the yellow fruit for their trolley.

\--

Rose purchased far more than she had originally intended because Theta was fascinated with so much (especially those sausage samples at the store), and who was she to deny his desire to try so many things? He was more than happy to help her with their shopping bags as they trudged up the steps. What she didn’t anticipate was the visitor waiting by the door.

“Rose.”

She nearly dropped her load of groceries.

“Tall, skinny bloke whose name I do not know.”

“Jesus! You scared me! Ehm, hi, Donna.”

Theta simply glanced between the two women.

Rose pointed to him. “This is Th—John. My friend, John.” She blinked a few times.

“Funny. You’ve never mentioned this friend, John.”

“I haven’t? We grew up together on the estate. Old friend from way back.”

“Is that true?” She raised an eyebrow at Theta.

He shrunk under the fiery-haired woman’s gaze and nodded slightly.

“He... can’t speak.”

“How convenient.” She pulled her keys out of her pocket. “Well, I’ll let you and your boyfriend in.”

“Thanks, but he’s not—we’re not—”

“Slip of the tongue. I’m just pulling your leg, really. But I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.”

“You caught me off guard. Come in and I can tell you.”

\--

“So you’re a nature boy?” Donna asked him, to which he tilted his head. “Like the song?”

“He doesn’t know the song. And you can’t tell anyone about him. I’m telling you because you’re my good friend and my landlord.”

She mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key. “Your secret’s safe with me. Sorry for scaring you earlier.”

“There’s some surveillance being put on us, so if you see anybody suspicious, that’s why. Shouldn’t be more than two weeks.”

“Right. I’ll leave you to it, then. See you round, Nature Boy.”

After Donna left, Rose set about making a dish of shepherd’s pie, which Theta enjoyed. He didn’t much like the peas, though, so he picked them out. Then they settled on the sofa, and Rose poured them both glasses of wine, a rosé she’d picked up at Tesco, and put in a movie. “Oh—I’m sorry. I don’t know if you can have alcohol, actually. Is that going to be a problem?”

He sniffed the glass she handed to him and took a sip, just enough to stay on his tongue. No ill effects that he could feel, and he smiled. He took a big gulp.

“No!” Rose nearly fell over laughing at his sour face and ran to get him some water. “No! I should have told you. I’m sorry!” She laughed again at his glare and sputtering cough. “Little sips only. I promise it’s better in little sips. Try again.”

He continued glaring as he lifted the glass to his lips, but after the liquid was in his mouth, he rolled it around on his tongue a bit and swallowed, enjoying the sweet taste and the warm feeling that traveled down his throat. She was right. As he sipped more during their movie, the rest of him felt pleasantly warm, too.

Rose, on the other hand, was pleasantly bubbly. She giggled a bit more freely. And, to his delight, it was not his imagination telling him she was slowly moving towards him. No, that was her weight pressing into his side, and she had most certainly wrapped her arm around his. And had she sniffed him?

She should have this drink more often if it lowered her inhibitions.

She fell asleep after a while, and he dared not wake her.

Eventually, she woke herself and mumbled something before making her way to her room.

He laid on the sofa for a while in the dark, the fingers of one hand playing with the soft fabric of his… pyjamas, as she called them. Why did humans need to be clothed at night, in the privacy of their own home? He missed sleeping in the buff.

He missed sleeping next to someone. He was tired of being alone. Most of all, he missed the presence of someone else in his mind, but there was nothing to be done for that, unless--

No. Too soon for that, for either of them, he supposed. He could only fix one problem for now.

He watched her door for some time. Dare he? She hadn’t seemed to mind their earlier physical contact.

He quietly opened her door and laid in the bed next to her. He watched her for a while, and when she rolled onto her side away from him, he gently spooned up behind her. She snuggled back into his chest and sighed.

\--

Rose felt so pleasantly warm when she woke, and her bed had never smelled more comforting. She felt so safe in the arms of the body behind her. She absentmindedly found the fingers belonging to that arm and laced hers with them. Those fingers squeezing hers in return brought her to full attention and she leaned up, looking down at the man next to her.

Theta froze.

“Er… hello,” was all she could think to say. It wasn’t an unpleasant way to wake up, to be sure, but it was unexpected. Not unpleasant indeed; she wanted to card her fingers through his hair, as messy as it was. Snogging the life out him wouldn’t be so bad, either… maybe both at the same time. But he didn’t need to know that. When she realized she’d involuntarily licked her lips and she’d been staring at his, she practically leapt out of bed. “Are you hungry? I need some breakfast.” She slipped on her robe and made her way to the kitchen.

He must be lonely. That had been why he’d joined her. He’d needed a warm body next to him. Rose was fine with it, really, as much as he’d been through. She could be a warm body ‘til he went home.

He stayed on the bed for a moment. Was she really alright with what he’d done? If she were angry, he’d know. He'd learned that much about her. Was he right in thinking she… maybe she wanted to kiss him? What was stopping her, then?

Then he thought of them on the sofa together the night before, after she’d had the drink. She’d cuddled next to him, she’d even sniffed him. But that wasn’t really about them being together, was it? She often admired him from afar, and she’d been doing it again, except it’d been right next to him.

Maybe she needed permission, too, just like he had.

Well, he’d just have to give it to her, wouldn’t he?

He found her at the stove.

“Banana pancakes,” she mentioned, “with chocolate chips. Since you enjoy bananas so much.” She smiled over her shoulder.

He was a bit dumbfounded at the sight. She was so beautiful, and her smile only brought it out more. He wished he could tell her.

They were the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten, even more than the chips from the night before. How was he going to cope with losing bananas when he went back to the island?

“I have to leave, back to the lab one more time. Just to keep up appearances. You watch some telly or something, yeah? I need to shower.”

He turned on the telly as she’d shown him, but he was more focused on the water falling in the shower. The scent of her soap as it wafted out into the flat. The soft sounds of her singing. He wished he could join her.

Eventually, she stepped out of the loo. “I should be back in a bit. We’ll find something to do later, yeah? A museum, maybe. There’s lots of them around here.” She shrugged on a jacket and grinned. “I’ve never really been a tourist in my own town, aside from school trips and such. This’ll be fun.”

He smiled. In the meantime, he wanted to get back to… what did they call it… the cinema?

Mickey had pointed it out to him on bus ride back to Rose’s flat yesterday. He’d mentioned their friend, Donna, who owned it. Now that he knew her and what a movie was, he thought he might ask about that picture he’d seen, of the man in black holding a woman in a dress, her nose demurely nuzzled in his cheek, on the wall outside of the building. Maybe he could learn a few tips to win Rose over.

How to get around any Torchwood agents that might be watching, though? They’d be on the ground. The buildings seemed high enough, so if he could find a way to get over in the air…

Moments later, he was scaling down the back wall of the theater building and walked around the side away from Rose’s flat to get to the front. Donna happened to be in the ticket booth and he tapped on the glass.

“Nature Boy! Do you need something?”

He pointed at the poster.

“Oh. You want to watch _Dirty Dancing_?”

He nodded.

“Hold on.” She turned away for a moment because she wanted not to laugh, but she couldn’t hold it in, and soon she was doubled over and slapping the desk. When she was done, she looked up to find his arms crossed and a scowl. “I’m sorry. It’s just not every day you get a man raised by wolves at your cinema who wants to watch _Dirty Dancing._ Really, though, it’s one of my favorites. Tell you what. I wasn’t supposed to show it until tonight, but I’ll make an exception for you. I’ll even get you a bucket of popcorn and a drink if you like.”

He really enjoyed the popcorn. He couldn’t understand what the characters were saying (no mind to read), but he could follow all their nonverbal cues well enough.

He was confused to learn that human love was so complicated. Why was status an issue? Why wasn’t everyone regarded as equal in society?

And would things with Rose be complicated? Not in the same way, of course. Rose didn’t seem to care for pretense.

It would be worth it even if it was complicated, he decided.

He was… impressed with the dancing, to say the least. He had to shift in his seat a few times. They danced on the island, but nothing as erotic as this. No wonder it led to…

Would he ever be intimate with Rose? He hoped. She certainly didn’t seem averse to it at times.

What affected him most was the scene in the lake, where Johnny and Baby practiced their lifts. He hadn’t dreamed of Lupa and himself by the lake since that night when she’d spoken to him. He missed Lupa deeply. He could hear her laughter just as freshly as the night it happened, could feel the weight of her in his arms.

For once, he didn’t feel guilt or confusion for wanting to be with Rose. He could remember his time with Lupa and he could live in the present.

\--

“Last time we’re here, thank god,” Rose sighed as she and Martha rode the elevator.

“I know. Just gotta fool the bosses and then we’re out of here.”

“You gonna be okay with not seeing Mickey for a few days?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what do you mean?’ It’s obvious you two fancy each other.”

Martha crossed her arms. “Are you gonna be okay with Nature Boy around your flat?”

Rose blushed and pursed her lips. “Fair enough.”

“Donna phoned last night. That’s what she called him.”

Once they’d made it to the lab, which had clearly been destroyed, they called security, who then escorted them up to van Statten’s office suite.

“Our facilities were attacked last night, as you noticed. Financial records have been hacked. Several of our assets have gone missing, including the subject of your study. I’m well aware you weren’t fond of the work, so I’ll give you one chance to answer honestly. Did you two have anything to do with the asset’s disappearance or have any input on plans to do so? Tyler?”

She crossed her arms. “How the hell would I have gotten him out? I’m just some chav who grew up on an estate.”

He nodded in acknowledgment. “True.”

“Look, I’m happy he’s out of here after enduring whatever bullshit you’ve put him through, but I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“What about you, Jones?”

_“Doctor_ Jones. And no, I had nothing to do with it, either.”

“Have either of you ever heard of an organization called Torchwood?”

“No.” She glanced at Rose, who shrugged.

“We have intel that says Mickey Smith works for them. Neither of you knew about him?”

Martha’s jaw dropped. “No. That’s news to me.”

“Neither of you have had any contact with or knowledge of Torchwood?” He looked between the two of them.

“No,” Rose answered. “Mickey was our friend, but he’s just a bloke.”

“Some friend,” said Saxon. “He’d been keeping part of his life secret from the both of you.”

Martha’s eyes dropped to the floor.

Rose stepped forward. “Well, let me take this opportunity to say I quit. I’m done with Statten Labs.”

“Me, too,” added Martha. “I have no interest in participating in any more of your projects if they’re like this.”

“Take your stupid badge back. I don’t want it anymore.” She tossed the plastic card onto van Statten’s desk and walked to the door.

“Don’t forget, Miss Tyler, you can’t disclose any of this, or my lawyers will be on your ass.”

“My arse would rather forget this whole episode happened in the first place.” She poked her head in again and pointed at Saxon. “By the way, fuck you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he called after she was in the hallway.

“Saxon.”

“Mr. van Statten.”

“Your ass is being held to the fire as of now. The asset was your responsibility.”

“Sir.”

“Find out where Torchwood has him. Find out how Torchwood got in. Find out when Torchwood’s taking him back. Let’s take them down for good. I don’t care who dies in the process.”

\--

Rose sighed as she unlocked her flat. Hopefully, she was finished with Statten Labs and would never have to deal with them again. “Theta? I’m home.” But oddly enough, he wasn’t on the sofa, which she could see from the door. Not digging in the refrigerator. Not in the loo. Not even napping on her bed.

She knocked on Martha’s door, but he wasn’t there, either.

Panic struck. Anything could have happened to him. She ran down the steps out to the street, but she couldn’t see him in either direction. She even checked the chippy she’d taken him to the day before. They hadn’t seen him.

She knocked on the window of the car she suspected was surveillance that had parked near the front of her building.

The dark-haired man jumped and rolled it down. “You’re not supposed to know we’re here.”

“Well, I do. Where is he? He’s not in my flat.”

“Nobody’s seen him leave. Are you sure he’s not there?”

“Again, in case you didn’t hear me the first time, he’s not in my flat. What kind of surveillance team are you running? So _none_ of you know where he is?”

His partner contacted the other agents with his ear piece. “No,” he said sheepishly.

“Then help me find him, you imbeciles!” She pulled out her mobile. “Donna, I need your help.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.” Her voice broke. “Theta’s missing, and I don’t know where he is, and what if something’s happened to him?”

“Oh, sweetheart. I thought you knew. He’s here catching a show.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Come on down. He’s got the place to himself, and, in fact, it should finish any minute now. Gave him a bucket of popcorn and everything.”

She wiped her cheek and knocked on the window of the car again. “He’s down at the cinema. Mickey’s a friend of mine, y’know. I’ll be speaking to your boss.”

The man blinked.

Rose didn’t have time to be proud of the Jackie Tyler glare she’d inherited. Rather, she ran down the sidewalk to meet Donna, who pointed her to Theater 2.

There, in the middle, was Theta all by himself, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

She marched up to him, grabbed his hand without any regard for the grin he flashed at the sight of her or his bucket of popcorn, and dragged him out of his seat. He tried to hold her hand on the way to her flat, but she kept walking.

She locked the door and leaned back against it, breathing for a moment. He was fine. He was here. She inhaled. “You left.” She’d found him, not Saxon. He wasn’t in danger. He was standing in front of her, his hands sheepishly stuffed into his pockets. “You can’t just leave like that!”

He flinched.

“What if something had happened to you or you got lost? God, you can’t even speak to ask for directions!” She turned away suddenly and swiped at her hot cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” She sniffed. She nearly jumped as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. When she turned around, he gently kissed her forehead. “Is this you apologizing?”

He cupped her cheek and nodded, grateful when she relaxed and held him in return.

“Just… don’t do it again, yeah?”

Her mobile vibrated in her pocket. Mickey was calling. He apologized profusely, and promised they’d get a better team in place immediately.

They spent the rest of the evening on the sofa. She pulled out _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ and he was curious about what she was reading, so she switched to _The Philosopher’s Stone_ and read it to him _._ She was quite amused at his reactions, almost jealous that the story was completely new for him. She was also proud she hadn’t tripped over her words when he'd put his arm around her shoulders.

\--

After she was ready for bed, Rose stood in the doorway of her room and contemplated the man on her sofa, her hand twitching to touch his, especially after their ordeal earlier.

She _really_ enjoyed waking up next to him. She loved that he was the first thing she smelled, felt, saw that morning.

Even if, for him, it was all for the comfort of having a body next to his. Maybe she reminded him of waking up next to his wife. 

Should she be selfish and invite him back? Wouldn’t that be awful of her, though, to take advantage of a man who was in mourning?

But, then again, he’d been the one to join her in the first place. He was lonely, right? And he probably would be until Torchwood was able to get him home. It was just her being kind to let him sleep in her bed, wasn’t it?

And, besides, the sofa probably wasn’t very comfortable for sleeping. It wouldn’t do for him to wake up with a bad back or a crick in his neck, because then she’d have to give him a massage, and… well, she wasn’t quite comfortable taking that thought any further, especially since he was grieving his wife. Better to prevent all that from happening.

Enough rationalizing. She cleared her throat. “Are you coming?”

He grinned.

He’d learned from the night before. This time, he merely slept next to her, no holding her in his arms. She was happier to stay in bed for longer with him the next morning.

\--

They spent the next few days doing things around London: visiting museums, taking selfies in front of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, all the tourist-y things.

Most of the time they held hands. A few times Theta dared to stand a bit closer to her than was necessary, once putting a hand on her waist. She didn’t mind so much the first time, almost leaning into it, but she gently stepped away the next time. He couldn’t figure out why, especially since she seemed to like watching him when he wasn’t looking. She was entirely confusing, but he soldiered on.

On the fourth evening, she’d taken him to see a play in Soho. They’d visited a pub after and discovered, entirely by mistake, that ginger beer adversely affected him. He fell down as they left to catch the Tube when he’d indicated he wasn’t feeling so good, but then he’d been a bit silly on the ride back to her flat. He played with her hair and he couldn’t stop grinning at her. Then, when they’d made it back and she’d shut the door, he cupped her jaw and, without warning, kissed her. Rose was hardly offended. Rather, she melted into him, and it was a sort of relief from all the tension she’d felt the whole time with him. She was constantly torn between keeping her distance and wanting to pin him to the mattress every morning.

But then the rational part of her mind caught up with her body, just as she was about to thread her fingers through his hair. It was the beer, she told herself. He missed kissing his wife. That was it. She gently pushed on his shoulders and stepped back.

He looked slightly dazed and confused.

She could hardly be upset when he looked so adorable, so she giggled. Sliding her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and shuffling her foot, she said, “Ehm, I think you should sleep out here tonight.” She held his arms and backed him over to her sofa. “Just lie down and I’ll bring you a pillow and blanket, yeah?” By the time she’d returned, he was already asleep.

Theta’s mind was groggy when he woke, wondering why he wasn’t with Rose. But then pictures of the previous night swam into focus… he’d kissed her. Oh, no.

He lifted his head. No sign of life from Rose. The sun wasn’t up high enough for her to wake.

He hoped she wouldn’t be angry. He didn’t remember her being angry, though. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it for a moment. A small victory?

How could he test the waters, though? Breakfast. Yes, he could make her breakfast. He was no stranger to cooking; he’d done it enough himself, and he’d seen her use the stove.

In nearly half an hour, he had a plate of sausage and toast prepared, and he poured her a glass of orange juice. He took them to her room and sat on his side of the bed.

The smell soon woke her, and he grinned, offering the sustenance.

She slowly blinked and stretched.

His eyes followed the curves of her body as she did so.

“Mornin’,” she croaked and yawned. “That is… lot of sausage. Like, a whole pile of it.” She laughed. “You cooked _all_ the sausage in the fridge. There’s no way I can eat it all.” She sat up next to him and went for a slice of toast. “Thank you, though. It’s the thought that counts.”

He happily picked up some meat for himself.

\--

That evening, they’d gone to the London Eye for a spin. It wasn’t his home, but he thought the city was beautiful, and it was even more beautiful with Rose next to him. He quite liked her reflection in the glass with all the lights behind it.

He briefly wondered how Rose would look basking in the glow of Idris.

After they exited their car on the Eye, Rose smiled at the song playing over some loud speakers. “I love this song! _Zoom,_ it’s called. Mum said she and Dad danced to it at their wedding.”

Dancing sounded fantastic. Not erotically like they did in the movie he’d seen (not in public anyway), but he’d gotten the general idea. He stopped and held out his hand for her.

Her eyes darted between it and his eyes. “You want to dance?”

A smile quirked at the corner of his lips.

“Do you even know how?”

He offered his hand again, pleased when she tentatively placed hers in it.

They stared for a moment until she laughed. “You really don’t know, do you?”

He shrugged and tugged on his ear. Okay, maybe he didn’t know _all_ of the steps. How did two people start?

“Here.” She stepped into him and wrapped his free arm around her, and she placed her hand on his shoulder. “And then you just…” She swayed lightly, and he moved with her. They tripped over each other’s feet for a moment, which prompted more laughter, until they settled into a rhythm with the music.

Yes, there was dancing in the village and in his duties as Priest, but nothing like this. He rather liked it, another expression of intimacy between two beings.

He especially liked being so close to Rose.

When he returned home, he’d have to introduce it. He was sure his people would love it. But then again… he’d be dancing without Rose. And dancing wouldn’t be worth enjoying if it wasn’t with her.

“I wish I could know what you’re really thinking.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. After a moment he leaned his forehead down to touch hers.

She immediately stiffened in his arms.

He sighed and lifted his head, looking anywhere but at her, mostly for her sake.

Did she want his affections or not? Because sometimes she looked at him with such longing, the same longing he felt for her. But the moment he turned it on, she shied away from him. He wished he knew the reason so he could fix whatever reservations held her back.

This tension had to end. He was going to have to address her directly.

\--

The next morning, she rolled over to face him. “Good morning,” she said softly. She smiled as he scooted closer to her, and without thinking caressed his cheek. She drew back her hand, but he reached up for her wrist and held it there. Gooseflesh spread down her arm as he trailed his fingertips across her skin. His hand on her waist felt like fire, and she couldn’t help but mold herself to him when he captured her lips, hitching her leg over his hip. The tension in the air seemed to snap as their lips went from tentative to hungry.

Finally, an opportunity to do what she’d wanted to do the most: she plunged her fingers into his hair. It was so soft and thick. The perfect texture. Everything about him was perfect. His hair, his face, his lithe body, his smile, his warmth and care, his long, slender fingers which could probably make her scream if he used them right, his slim hips which would fit perfectly between her legs. Everything.

Her mind caught up with the situation when he rolled over her and kissed her jaw, and they were in quite a precarious position. Particularly the position of his hardening length. “Theta,” she said, which earned her a good nip at the join of her neck and shoulder. “Theta.”

His hand slipped under the hem of her vest. The coolness of his skin against her hot flesh made her quiver.

“Theta, hold on.” She tugged on his hair. “Theta,” she breathed and closed her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to, because… you’re wonderful.” She swallowed at the waver in her voice. “But we can’t.”

He tilted his head.

She pushed lightly on his chest so he’d let her up, and she sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes. “I’m not your wife. I know you really miss her and she still means a lot to you, and I know I look like her.” She sighed. “I’m not her.” She left the room.

He was too stunned follow her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SEX. Also, things go pear-shaped towards the end. Here's where that 'depictions of violence' warning comes into play. Just mentions, no descriptive scene, but it warrants a warning all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels a little more adventurous and risky (for me) than my usual adult-related offerings. I hope it comes across well. This might be one of my favorite chapters I've ever written.
> 
> Also, I may be taking a short break from this and it feels like a natural place to do so. I have a definite ending, but it's a matter of how to fit the pieces together on the way. I might venture back into those prompts I have sitting in my inbox over on tumblr in the meantime.

Theta was hurt and confused. How could she accuse him of using her as a replacement for Lupa? He’d never be so thoughtless and selfish. Of course he understood they weren’t the same women, even if they looked it. He’d know! He’d been with Lupa for Idris knew how long. But the love he felt now was for her, not Lupa. Hadn’t he done enough to show that? How could she have missed it?

Easily, he supposed, and he sighed. He couldn’t speak. He could write to her, but she wouldn’t understand his language. She’d only ever known him while he was grieving. Hadn’t their first meeting been a misunderstanding? Without being able to communicate properly, he hadn’t had the chance to tell her things were different.

Then he understood. This whole time, she’d been willing to be what he needed. Rose had her own brand of compassion, and she was simply letting him know she wasn’t willing to comfort him in that way, not if that was his motivation.

He stepped out of her room. She wasn’t in the flat. He couldn’t leave to look for her, not after she’d been upset the other day. So he waited and puzzled over a solution on the sofa.

Martha opened the door eventually. “Hey. She just needs some space,” she offered as she joined him. “She’ll be back tonight. This has got to be a simple misunderstanding. It happens all the time with people and relationships. And in your case, it was bound to happen, circumstances as they are.”

The corner of his lips turned up and he nodded.

“I don’t think you think they’re the same woman. Do you?”

Absolutely not.

“Good. I tried to tell her that, but she won’t hear it.”

His jaw clenched. He wanted so desperately to fix it.

“She’s not really angry or anything. I just don’t think she understands that you have feelings for _her._ Were you trying to show her?”

Tried to. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“So the question now is how can we fix this?”

\--

Rose spent the day out and about. She ate at her favorite chippy, bought herself a few books at a local shop. A few times she saw something interesting and wanted to share it with Theta, but he wasn’t there, and she nearly cried again.

She hoped he would understand her reservations. Yes, she did have feelings for him, but she wouldn’t indulge herself and take advantage of him while he was still grieving. She couldn’t fault him, though. She’d lived in his desperation on the day he’d been captured, and she could only imagine what Saxon had put him through. He must feel so lonely.

Still, crossing that line with him? She would comfort him any other way he needed but that. Even she had to protect her own feelings. He’d be gone in a week, and she didn’t want to nurse an even deeper broken heart when all this was done… because, really, where would she find anyone else like him? His gaze would linger in her mind far longer than his presence.

She was being dramatic, she knew. She didn’t need him to be happy, or anyone else for that matter. She’d been on her own for so long, and she really didn’t mind being in her own space. And she could also move on and find someone else to love if she wanted.

She sat by the side of the Thames until well after sundown, underneath a lamp so she could continue reading.

The Tube was pretty well empty by the time she boarded it. All she could think about was him being drunk and silly and she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Her flat was dark. Theta was lying on the sofa, presumably asleep. He hadn’t stirred at her presence. Just as well that he should sleep on his own for the night. She didn’t really want to wake up next to him tomorrow morning. She’d be fine after that if he wanted to join her again.

She took a long, hot shower. The warmth helped loosen the tightness of her shoulders, and her lavender soap helped to scrub away all the emotions she’d battled with for the day. Fresh and clean and wrapped in a soft towel, she brushed her teeth and moisturized her face and smoothed her favorite vanilla lotion over her skin.

She spied his container of pomade on the counter, and she indulged herself with a sniff. It smelled so clean and manly, like sandalwood and musk, like one of those boyfriend candles she’d been crazy about for a while. Tears welled up in her eyes. She still lov—cared for him, even if she’d found a new resolve, and she suspected she’d keep the small jar in its place for a while.

She slipped on her robe and went to her room to change into her pyjamas, but then she noticed something on her pillow. A bar of salted caramel dark chocolate, her favorite, next to…

A single rose.

Her jaw dropped.

Anything he’d done towards her hadn’t been about Lupa. The holding hands, the gentle touches, the dancing. She’d completely misjudged him.

That morning… he was kissing _her._ He’d wanted to love _her._ How much had she hurt him with her rejection?

Not enough to prevent him from extending an olive branch, it seemed. Knowing how he felt about her… dare she wake him and jump his bones? Would it be fair? Because that was all she wanted right then, god help her.

She hugged the wall poked her head around the corner to look at him, but she gasped when she noticed his open eyes. Damn him, he was awake and probably had been when she came in.

And damn him, he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

She pressed her back to the wall as he approached. She shivered at his closeness, her skin tingling with the desire to be touched.

But he didn’t reach out for her, merely stood still as a monolith. How fitting, seeing that he was practically a god.

“’m sorry,” she whispered.

He didn’t acknowledge her statement or move. Neither did Rose. She was pinned to the wall by his intense gaze.

She was going to have to make the first move this time, which was fair enough, and quite considerate of him. She reached out her hand to touch his chest, a natural gesture in the moment and just about all she could handle, but she stopped. “I don’t know what this means to you.”

A small smile crossed his lips. He lifted her hand and draped her arm around his neck, and he embraced her as he ducked his head to kiss her.

Finally, _finally,_ they were on the same page, and relief coursed through both of them.

She fit perfectly against his body, and her hands in his hair made his scalp tingle with delight. His hand traveled up her side and his thumb tentatively brushed over her breast, and she sighed against his lips.

She pulled back and reached for his hand. “Come on.” She took him to her bed and kneeled on the edge.

In the light of the small lamp on the bedside table, his eyes traced her every curve when she slipped off her robe and he swallowed.

“I believe we were right about here when I interrupted you,” she offered as she laid back.

He smiled and settled between her hips. He picked up where he’d left off, kissing her jaw, down her sternum, and was about to start enjoying her breasts, spurred on by her mewls of encouragement, when she said his name. He sighed and slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. What could this woman possibly want _now?_

She giggled at his disgruntled face. “Don’t stop.”

Oh. She was teasing. Well, he could tease, too.

There must have been something in his eyes because she couldn’t look away. Masculine pride surged through him and went straight to his groin.

He lowered his head to her breast, kissing and licking around her aeola, and then gave her nipple the tiniest touch of his tongue before moving to the other. His eyes never left hers, and he could see it, that desire, silently pleading, for more. He gave the same attention to this one, but lingered for a few seconds longer on the swelling bud, giving it a good suck. She leaned her head back and moaned, and he’d never heard anything so beautiful.

His nose and lips caressed her skin as he traveled back to her lips. He grazed the bottom one with his teeth and sucked, and then he switched to the top. Then he gave her nipples the attention they deserved with his hands, gently brushing one with his thumb, and then again with more pressure, smiling when she keened and arched into his touch.

Then he felt her on his leg, grinding against him, seeking out a bit of friction. She was hot, he could feel it through the thin fabric of his pyjamas. And wet. Oh, she was wet. And gorgeous, with her lips parted and her brow knit in concentration.

But, no, immediate gratification was not allowed at the moment. Another time, perhaps.

He gripped her hips to still her, and she whimpered. He kissed her skin as he traveled down her torso, eyes trained on her face. He adjusted his position so he was lying on his stomach and hooked his hands around her legs.

She mewled when he kissed the inside of her thigh, starting at the knee. His lips trailed across her skin, placing kisses higher and higher, until he was just over her center, and he gently, ever so gently, kissed her folds, caressing her with the tip of his nose. Then he moved to her other knee, repeating the same motion.

She looked at him disbelievingly, and he winked.

“Quit teasin’ me,” she said, breathlessly.

He raised an eyebrow and stopped, opting instead to focus on one spot, sucking hard and nipping her with his teeth. She yelped in pleasure, her hips bucking against nothing.

She plunged her hand into his hair, trying to direct him to where she wanted him, but he grabbed her wrist and placed her hand over her own center, and she pleasured herself without any shame. He was more than happy to watch as her fingers dipped into her wetness and she rubbed herself again. He waited for just the right moment… the pressure and speed in her hand increased, her cries becoming more desperate, and then he pulled her hand away.

She groaned in frustration and leaned up on her elbow. “Theta, I don’t know how it works with women where you’re from, but when a girl gets goin’—”

He took her second and third fingers into his mouth, his tongue working to clean them of her juices. His eyes fluttered shut at the taste of her, and when he was satisfied, he released her with a smack of his lips.

Her jaw had dropped, and he gave her a filthy smirk.

“Having fun, are you?”

He pushed on her chest and kissed her folds again in response, finding her hand and lacing their fingers together. His other hand was still hooked around her thigh, keeping her hips in place as his tongue swiped from bottom to top to part her lips, and he began to work her up again. He lapped and sucked at her sensitive bud, all while she cursed and cried his name. When she toppled over the edge, she squeezed his hand and his head with her thighs.

He waited for her to calm and propped up his jaw in his palm, and when she lifted her head again, he merely licked his lips.

“You’re…” She laughed. “Something else,” she finished.

He scowled. All that work, and she bestows on him a vague description.

She bit her lip. “You’re quite skilled.”

He smiled. That was more like it. His thumb stroked her hand and they looked at each other for a moment. His eyes darted to her lips. He wanted to kiss her more than anything.

“Come here,” she said softly. She wanted that, too.

He crawled up her body and leaned over her. He delighted in the feel of her arms around his neck as their lips connected. She swiped her tongue over his bottom lip and hummed. She must have been able to taste herself, because she sure seemed to enjoy hunting out every last bit of flavor on his tongue.

She snaked her hand down his back and he inhaled sharply when it slipped underneath the waistband of his pyjamas and cupped his bum. “You should take these off.”

Right. He stood and pushed them off of his hips and stepped out of them. He froze when he noticed her eyes traveling over his form. She’d done that before, in the lab, and he was certain she’d done it when he wasn’t looking since then.

Her eyes were a little wide as she took in his partially-stiff member. “You’re, ehm, quite.” She cleared her throat. “Impressive.” She met his eyes and smiled a little. “Bit longer than any other bloke I’ve been with.”

He grinned and crawled over to meet her where she laid on her side, leaning on his elbow over her. She wrapped her arms around him again as they resumed kissing.

Now that he could devote his whole body’s attention to her, he allowed himself to harden more as her hands traveled over his skin, her nails lightly scratching through his chest hair and down his torso.

Then she took him in hand, and his body shuddered in response. She grinned against his lips. “Sorry. ‘m just curious.” He wrapped his hand around hers and stroked with her, his lips unable to close again for the shallow breaths he took.

She stopped. “Been a while, hasn’t it?” she asked softly as she cupped his cheek.

He closed his eyes and nodded slightly, and he swallowed as a lump formed in his throat. Of all the things he’d expected to feel, this, the culmination of months of loneliness, to such a degree that he’d cry, this feeling was not one of them. He certainly didn’t want their time together to be about himself.

“Hey.” Her thumb stroked his bottom lip. “Theta, it’s okay.”

Then again, it really wasn’t just about him, was it? He wasn’t lonely anymore because he was with her. He wasn’t on the island, at home, but he didn’t need to be in this moment because she was his home.

He stroked his hand down her side until he reached her knee and he pulled her leg up over his hip, and he moved so his waist was between her thighs. He brushed the column of her throat with his nose, inhaling her scent, while she played with his hair.

He rocked his hips once, to move his length against her, just to see if she was ready. Her head leaning back in response was all the confirmation he needed. He lined himself up and entered her, both of them gasping at the feel of each other, her squeezing his arm tightly at the feeling of being stretched.

He cupped her cheek and searched her eyes, and when she nodded, he slowly pulled away. When he was nearly unsheathed, he pushed back in, repeating the movement slowly until he was sure she was comfortable. This position wasn’t meant for speed, so he wasn’t planning on rushing anyway.

It did, however, allow him to hit her deeply and in just the right spot, and, oh, was she ever so tight around him. And as she moaned and keened in his ear, kissing his neck and sucking on his skin, he needed more. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and keeping them together, he rolled her onto his back.

“Yes!” she cried as he hoisted her leg up against his shoulder and began thrusting again. Yes, indeed, because he could pick up the pace.

He wished desperately to connect with her, not only in body, but in mind, in the way of his people. He wanted to feel what she was feeling, for her to understand how good her body felt to him.

She could see his dreams, yes? In the lab, when he’d been sleeping. But only because they’d had been operating at compatible wavelengths. If he could just sense hers… yes, the copious amount of skin-to-skin contact was helping.

The feel of another being with his mind, the feel of an oasis in the desert, they were one and the same. The feel of _her_ mind sent his pleasure through the roof. He looped his hand around her waist and leaned up on his knees, pulling her hips with him, bracing himself up on his other arm. From there, he plunged into her, harder, deeper, and she shouted in response. He wouldn’t last much longer like that, embarrassingly like a young Priest who’d only been recently wed. He’d make it up to her later.

Then he felt it, the surge of energy, that urge to bond coursing through him. He couldn’t, though, not with her, not as she was. He tried to direct that energy away from her, but it was difficult with her coming undone around him, her cries like music.

He had to let go of himself to make the temporary connection work, and he did with a few hard, final thrusts. He gently lowered her hips to the bed and laid next to her, pulling her close.

Just as he was coming down from his high, _there,_ just there, their minds would fit together. Here was his chance, and he grasped onto the tendrils of her consciousness. _“Rose.”_

She opened her eyes. “Was that you?”

He leaned forward and kissed her desperately, but her mind quickly slipped away. _“Rose, I—”_ The connection faded, and he sighed.

“Were you trying to talk to me?”

He nodded.

“Did I ruin it?”

No, absolutely not. It wouldn’t have lasted long anyway. Human brains aren’t built for that kind of connection.

“I’ve never… that was amazing.” She giggled. “Your penis must be really special or something.”

He preened, carding a hand through his hair. She had no idea. That was amateur hour.

She lifted her head. “No, but it was more than that, wasn’t it? You were connected to Lupa, weren’t you?”

He nodded, pleased she was understanding a little.

“That was you trying to connect with me.” Her voice wavered. “I mean, I’ve had sex before, but it’s never felt like that. ‘s like I was floating or something.”

He hadn’t thought about that, how his effort would have affected her experience.

“I almost thought I saw the stars, little bits of light.”

He wished she could feel all his affection in this moment.

She stroked his cheek. He hadn’t initially been on board with shaving his beard, but when she touched him like that, her fingers trailing across his skin, who was he to argue?

Her mobile vibrated on her nightstand, and she stretched out to pick it up. “Donna,” she read. “Hold on. We’re not done.” She pecked him on the lips before answering.  

“Rose, is your power out?”

She glanced out her window. She hadn't even noticed they were in the dark. “Yeah, the street lamp is out.”

Theta grinned against her cheek and pressed his lips to her skin.

“Oh… ehm. I think I know what happened.”

“What? I can hardly believe your hair dryer took out the whole block.”

“No, it wasn’t that.”

“Come out with it, then.”

“I can’t say.”

“Oh. My. God. You shagged, didn’t you?”

“No!” Rose giggled, even though she didn’t mean to.

“You’re lying.”

“Am not!”

“Martha told me about the electricity thing. Well, tell him to put it back on. I’ve got some angry customers.”

Theta found an outlet in the room and touched it, and the light came back on after a moment.

“Thanks, and congratulations.” Donna ended the call.

“Ehm…” She bit her lip as he rejoined her on the bed.

Someone pounded on her door.

“Shit!” She jumped out of bed and threw on her robe, running to the door. When she looked through the peephole, she sighed in relief at who was on the other side. “Give me a minute, Martha!” She leaned back on the door and took a deep breath, and then opened it. “Hi!” She put on her biggest, cheesiest grin.

“Did your power go out?”

“Yep! But it came back on, so—”

Martha blinked a few times before covering her eyes. “Oh. Okay. Bye!” She turned to go back to her flat.

Rose looked behind her, and there was Theta, in all of his glory. “Oh, god. Sorry, Martha!”

“Glad you two worked it out. Literally, it seems.”

“Oh, no. Okay. Good night!” Her smile was strained.

“Seems you’ve beat me to it!”

“I’m completely mortified by this.”

Martha wrinkled her nose. “Nah. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Okay, good night for real.” She closed her door.

“Yep.” Rose also closed her door and shoved Theta back towards her room. “I know you live out in the wilderness, Theta, but here in London, we don’t usually go about starkers when other people are around.”

Without warning, he spun around and scooped her up, bridal style. She laughed, even more so when he dropped her on the mattress.

She backed up to sit against the headboard and reached for the bar of chocolate on her nightstand. “Have you ever had chocolate?”

He shook his head and sat next to her.

She peeled back the foil and broke off a square, holding it out for him.

He bit off a corner, rather than taking the piece for himself. She giggled a little bit and reached over to swipe the trail of caramel on his bottom lip. His eyes grew darker as he watched her tongue clean her thumb.

Rose noted his reaction. “Do you like it?” She ate the rest of the square, obviously moaning in delight.

He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed. After a moment and another square, she said, “So you tried to talk to me.”

He nodded.

“You can’t do that all the time?”

He shook his head.

“You’d knock the power out again, yeah?”

He shrugged.

“There’s no way you can just tell me, is there?” she asked softly.

He looked at her with as much warmth as he could muster and kissed her, his tongue chasing after the remnants of chocolate flavor on hers.

She wound her arms around his neck and murmured against his lips, “You won’t knock out the transformer down the block if we do this again, will you?”

\--

Rose stirred from slumber at the feel of something on her inner thigh. A light touch, skimming across her skin. Lips on the back of her neck. She, stretched, arching her back and shifting her legs, wincing immediately at the soreness she’d earned after three rounds with him.

His teeth grazed her skin just behind her earlobe and then he laved it with his tongue. He gripped her thigh and lifted it, and she felt his cock slide between her legs from behind, heard him hiss as he rutted against her. He lowered her leg even more, adjusting the tightness around himself. She felt his forehead on her shoulder and his hot breath on her skin. He might not be able to speak, but she could tell he was enjoying himself, and that made him all the sexier for it. Not to mention that her already-sensitive clit was benefiting from his actions, very much so…

He stopped just before she came, and she might have complained if he hadn’t lifted her leg again and entered her. She shifted her leg forward and directed his hand back to her center. He kissed her shoulder in response, an apology for leaving her bereft of contact. A few thrusts from him and she fell apart, but she’d learned that he was far from finished.

She’d built up a theory the night before (thinking as a biologist, of course) that he must have greater stamina. Their first round had been relatively short to two and three, and she suspected that was because he hadn’t made love in quite some time. She’d been pleased that morning to have her hypothesis confirmed, in so far as she could tell, because she orgasmed several more times before he felt the need for release.

\--

She woke a few hours later, opening her eyes to see Theta properly asleep.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t actually seen him sleep, had she? Other than when he was injured in the lab or when he was drunk the other night. She imagined he didn’t need as much under normal circumstances. Was he alright with that, her sleeping so much? Was he lonely when she was dead to the world?

She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his chest and her arm across his stomach. She enjoyed the rise and fall as he breathed, and she maybe would have fallen asleep again if not for the strange vibration she felt growing beneath her ear… almost like a cat. Was he _purring?_

She tried to bite back her giggle, but she couldn’t help it.

His arm went around her before she had a chance to roll away, and his lips pressed to her hair.

She smiled at him. “You were purring. I’m sorry for waking you.” Her eyes searched his face. He was beautiful, even sleepy like that. She cupped his cheek and leaned up to kiss him, slow and sweet.

She wanted to wake up every morning like this, for the rest of her life.

But she couldn’t, could she? This was only temporary. Tears filled her eyes.

He wiped her cheek and furrowed his brow.

“You’re leaving. Things just got good and you’ll have to leave, go home.”

His hearts sank. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Hadn’t wanted to, at least.

Why would Idris provide a way home—Rose, why would she send Rose to bring him home, knowing how he’d fall in love, if he was just going to have to leave her behind? After what he’d lost? That wouldn’t do. She was not that cruel, and he was not willing to lose again.

And he couldn’t stay. That just wasn’t a viable option for him.

She could stay with him, but even if she did, she was human. He would continue to live long after her lifespan was through.

No. No, she said she saw little bits of light. Wasn’t that another sign from Idris? Perhaps Rose could be changed. Idris could change her. She could do anything. Would it even be possible? Would Rose survive something so drastic? Under his and Idris’ care, she would. There wasn’t an alternative.

How could he tell her, though? She needed words to understand.

Words, like in a book. And the pen and paper he’d seen her write with.

He left quickly to get everything and came back, and he positioned them so she was leaning back into his chest. He put the book in her hands and pointed at the first word. She read, and when she found the word he was looking for, he stopped her so she could write it.

_you can stay with me_

“I can stay? What do you mean?”

_on the_

“Island? You want me to stay with you on the island?”

He smiled and nodded.

“Leave my world behind?”

Oh. Yeah. There was that. Her friends, her home, her way of life. She’d have to give up everything she’d ever known. Why would she give all that up to live on a remote island with a man she couldn’t talk to? At least to her current knowledge. That was asking quite a bit of her to accept. He sighed in resignation.

She reached up to stroke his cheek behind her. “What else?”

What he wanted to say, how could it be communicated with words? What word was there to explain what he felt for her? How could he explain Idris to her? The possibility that she could be changed to be like him?

He shook his head. Better than nothing, it was, but trying to speak like that was tedious and dependent on the words being there. He was limited because he couldn’t speak, but she was limited because she could.

“I’m sorry. I wish I understood.”

He just had to hope when they made it to the island Idris could help her understand.

He took the book from her hands and tossed it aside, and then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

She laughed as he moved to hover over her. “Theta, as impressive as you are, I am absolutely spent. I need some time to recover.” She bit her lip. “However, if you’re feeling up for it again—” She pushed on him so he’d sit, and then she straddled his lap and pushed him again so he was lying down. She rather adored the look on his face, some mixture of wonder and feral hunger. Even though he didn’t mind taking the lead, he clearly had a preference. She would have started kissing down his chest, but her mobile vibrated on her nightstand. “Oh.” She glanced at it. “I’m sorry. I swear I’m turning it off after this.”

His disappointment was clear as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

The screen said it was from a private number. “It must be Torchwood.” She answered with, “Hello?”

Theta’s arm curled around her from behind and he cupped her breast, kissing behind her ear, the one holding her phone.

She giggled and swatted him away, but he was relentless. “Theta, stop.”

“Un- _fucking-_ believable.”

She froze at the voice.

Theta pulled back immediately at her change in demeanor.

“Wh-who is this?”

“You’ve forgotten the sound of my voice already? I’m devastated, Rose. Utterly dejected.”

She couldn’t breathe.

“Here, I’ve been searching for that animal for days now. I thought Torchwood had him, but they’re virtually untraceable. We learned of the power outage last night, and then I suspected. Oh, yes, I did. Turns out you’ve had him this whole time, going at it like bloody rabbits, from the sound of it. Hardly surprising, considering you look just like his dead wife. I’d know, because I was the last one she saw before I put a bullet in her head. I’d imagine that when he’s really going at it, just pounding into you, he’s thinking of her.

“But really, Rose, I don’t understand how you did it. You’re just one person. How’d you get him out of the lab? You had to have help, which means… you lied to us. Lucky for you, after you left my office the other day, van Statten put every resource at my disposal, gave me permission to use any means necessary to recapture the asset.”

Tears started pouring down her cheeks.

“I just have one question. Does he scream when he comes for you? Because I could never get the bastard to utter a peep. No matter how hard we beat him, pulled off his fingernails, tried to electrocute him, even. Oh, you should have seen that one. He accidentally killed our man. But anyway, he just wouldn’t crack for me. Perhaps he needs more of a woman’s touch. Or, maybe, you can let me know if this works, too.”

Theta tackled her just as the windows shattered and held her down on the floor. He threw her mobile up in the air, which was destroyed by the hail of bullets, and shielded her as bits of debris from the wall went flying.

Her body trembled beneath his, racking with sobs. He found her hand and laced his fingers with hers. It was all he could do to comfort her until the chaos stopped.

It did after a moment, and the next thing they heard was the sound of a door being kicked in and, “Rose Tyler! This is Torchwood, coming in!”

She didn’t recognize the voice and she glanced over her shoulder at Theta.

He could only spare a moment to quickly check her for injuries.

Whatever they expected out of the appearing agent, however, it was not a whistle. “Well, well. Nice to finally see you in the buff,” the American accent offered.

Theta’s eyebrows went up and then he glared. A look over his shoulder confirmed his identity.

The man laughed. “Theta Sigma, it’s been a while. I’m glad to see you’re… healthy.”

Theta would have groaned if he could. He pulled the blanket off the bed, wincing at the sound of broken glass, and gave her the flat sheet to cover herself before leaving to find some clothes.

“Wow, you do look like her. Mickey showed me a picture, but you’re a spitting image. Jack Harkness, by the way.” His flirtatious grin, clear blue eyes, and merry demeanor were disarming.

She pulled the sheet around herself and stood to meet him. “Rose Tyler, hi.”

“Mickey says you’d make a good agent. Is that something you’d be interested in? We could use someone like you.”

“Bit soon for an offer of employment, don’t you think? You’ve just met me.”

“Nah, heard enough. Any friend of Mickey’s is a friend of mine. Especially one with a pretty face like yours.” He winked.

She grinned. She could tell he was just being friendly. “I’ll think about it.” And then she gasped and made for the door. “Oh, god, Martha. Is Martha alright? Shit!”

Jack caught her arm. “Martha was out with her family this morning, so she’s fine. Her flat’s been shot to hell, but she’s completely safe. I’m here to bring you in, actually. We’ll keep Martha’s family and you and Theta at our facilities. Put something on now, and we’ll have everything for you at Torchwood. My assistant, Ianto, will get your measurements and go shopping for you.”

She exhaled. “Alright.”  

“Alright, then.”

She smiled timidly as the tension left her body. “Then I’d like to get dressed now, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.” He grinned lasciviously.

She giggled. “You’re a lot more fun than van Statten ever was.”

“I personally think he gets off on the stick up his—”

Theta yanked him away from Rose and pulled the door closed behind him.

Jack called from behind the door, “You two can get back to shagging all you want when we get to Torchwood, but we don’t have time for that right now.”

“Won’t be a mo’!” she answered.

Theta gently approached her and pushed the sheet away from her body, his eyes and hands giving her a more thorough examination. She had bruises forming on her side and hip from when he’d knocked her to the floor, but he could tend to those later. Luckily, the only other marks on her he could find were the ones he’d given her the night before.

She blushed as he thumbed the one above her left breast and smiled. “Were you jealous of him?”

He rolled his eyes.

“He’s just being friendly.” She rifled through her drawers.

He hugged her from behind and sighed when she leaned back into him. He really wasn’t jealous, though he remembered the numerous times when Jack had flirted with Lupa on the island. Theta knew she flirted back just to wind him up. Jack had nothing on him, not when it came down to it, and he’d been proud to prove it to her in the night.

No, he’d overheard Jack inviting Rose to work at Torchwood. Theta didn’t want her to stay and work for them. If only he could get her to Idris. She could explain everything.

Ultimately, it would have to be her choice.

Rose turned in his arms. “Thank you.” They stood still for a moment, just feeling the other breathe. Then she reached up to brush some dust from his hair. “Let me put something on so we can get out of here.”

He left the room, and she changed into some jeans and t-shirt and her trainers, pulling her hair into a messy bun.

Out on the street, Donna was waiting. “Oh, god, Rose, you’re alright!” She hugged her friend.

“The flat, Donna. I’m sorry about this whole mess.”

She pulled back. “No, no. Captain Jack over there said Torchwood would cover the repairs, and they’ll keep some surveillance around for a bit. You just be safe, alright? You and Nature Boy.”

“I probably won’t see you again until we’re done.”

Donna squeezed her arm. “Your flat will be here when you come back.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theta and Rose at Torchwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to take so long on this, but I'm on summer vaca, and I've been using a bunch of my time to watch stuff and chill. 
> 
> I've also been very sorta kinda blah with this chapter, but I poked a little here and there, and I think I've got it to a satisfactory place. Y'know how it goes when you're writing; you look at something and you look at it again and you look at it some more and then all of a sudden you're tired of it and you wish it would go away and you feel like it's the worst thing ever. Neil Gaiman feels the same about his writing, so I know it's not just me. 
> 
> There will be one more chapter to wrap it up, I think.
> 
> This chapter is for JustAReader. :) When you read, you'll see why.

The whole ride over to Torchwood, Theta refused to release her hand. Not when they arrived at Torchwood (barring a hug for Mickey from her), not when they met Martha’s family, not when they’d been given a tour of the high-tech facilities above and below ground, and hardly at either lunch or dinner. Rose could only imagine how hard this was for him after what he’d been through on the island.

Torchwood had converted one of the unused lower levels into living spaces. Sometimes the staff stayed late to work on various projects, Jack explained, so it was a nice way to accommodate them. All of the unused offices had been turned into cozy rooms with comfortable beds. Showers had been installed in the bathrooms. Just off the elevator was a central lounge with all the standard kitchen amenities, comfortable furniture, and a media center. Jack kindly gave Theta and Rose a room to themselves, away from the others on the opposite side of the floor.

Rose supposed when Mickey and Martha showed up late for dinner that they’d found a space of their own somewhere. He probably knew where the good, secluded spaces were.

And that evening, Theta tenderly loved every inch of Rose. She cried at the reverence written in his eyes, and she fell asleep to the rise and fall of his chest after they were sated.

\--

The next morning, Jack pulled Theta and Rose away from the group down the corridor after they’d finished eating breakfast. “Would you like to speak to him, Rose?”

She glanced at Theta in surprise and back at Jack. “Yes. Is there a way?”

“We’ve developed the technology for situations like this, for when we encounter telepathic beings like Theta who have no other way to communicate. It’s designed specifically to connect the minds. We’ll have to calibrate it with yours first, Theta. You could potentially overload the system and fry the whole thing. We don’t know if that would damage Rose or not, and I’m not going to let that happen.”

She suspected Jack said that more for Theta’s benefit than hers. The mistrust of Torchwood was still written on his face, the cold eyes and clenched jaw, and it only disappeared when he looked at her.

“What do you think, Theta?” she asked softly. “I’d like the chance to talk to you again.”

He nodded.

“Good," Jack said. "Follow me to the elevator. I’ll point out that this has been successfully tested with regular human beings, myself included, so it’s completely safe. Rose, since humans are only low-level telepaths, it’ll be easier for you if your other senses are dulled. We’ll have to put you to sleep, and then the machine will be able to catch your brain waves with ease.”

“Interesting,” she said.

They paused at the elevator and stepped on when it arrived.

Rose inhaled. “This might seem like an odd question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know why he can’t speak?”

“He doesn’t have a vocal mechanism.”

“Oh. So how do they understand each other?” she asked as they walked out into another corridor.

“We've barely begun to understand it ourselves. There’s a part of their brain that’s responsible for interpreting meaning, just like ours.”

“We know people by the sound of their voice, yeah?”

He slowed and turned around, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Yes.”

“I’ve never heard him speak out loud. So… how do I, ehm, hear him in my mind? How will he sound?”

“I don’t know the answer to that. I suppose you might compensate for the lack of the sound of his voice by your brain interpreting it how it likes. Do you mind if we monitor that while you’re under? Image your brain?”

“Go ahead. I’m glad I can help out in some way.”

“You know, we really could use someone like you. I mean that.”

She didn't fail to notice the unhappy twitch in Theta’s lips.

The trio entered a circular lab. In the center of the room were two padded chairs, reminding Rose of a dentist’s office. Above the two chairs were headsets connected to a series of wires, which led to a computer station at the side of the room and two technicians. The space was lit by spotlights over the chairs, also reminding her of an interrogation room. “This looks like fun,” she remarked.

Jack laughed. “It doesn’t really look like fun, I know, but the headsets are there to read your mind. We know that Theta’s people can also transmit more than words, feelings and such. In a telepathic society, you’d have to, but currently our machines are only able to translate verbal thoughts. You won’t get the full experience. I’m sorry this will be woefully inadequate for you, Theta, but it’s the best chance you’ve got to communicate with her right now.”

He nodded.

Jack continued speaking as he approached the technicians at the computer and checked some of the screens. “This is Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato, by the way. Tosh for short. They helped develop the technology. It doesn’t matter which chair either of you pick, so go ahead and sit. Rose, we’ll drug you up as we calibrate the machine for Theta. You’ll sleep it off after we’re done. Is that alright? I just want to make sure.”

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Good.” He flashed his winning grin over his shoulder.

Rose smiled in return and kissed Theta’s cheek. She picked her chair and sat, watching curiously as Jack working the headset above Theta’s chair. “Reminds me of X-Men, a bit Professor X.”

“That's where we got the design idea," Tosh noted. "It’s calibrating.”

Jack answered, “Excellent. He’s not overloading the circuits?”

“Taking it slow, so no.”

Jack clapped and squeezed Theta’s shoulder. “How’s that? First time we’ve used it on an actual telepathic being and it’s working!”

“Almost ready. Can you tell us something, Theta?”

Owen laughed as he read out the screen. “He says, ‘Tell him to stop touching me.’”

Theta brushed Jack’s hand away.

“Sorry," he replied, laughing. "We’ll get Rose set up now.” He walked over to a rolling cart and picked up two white pills and a glass of water. “Take these. The next thing you hear will be Theta.”

Not too long after she swallowed the dose, her world started to fade.

Jack smiled. “See you on the other side.”

\--

_Rose?_

Her consciousness swam up from the depths when she heard the warm, soothing voice.

_Rose?_

She would have blinked, but she couldn’t feel her body. She couldn’t even call out for help.

_Can you hear me? Just think of what you want to say._

_I can’t move._

_It’s alright._

_Theta, help._

_It’s alright. I can see you. Your body is asleep, remember?_

_What?_

_Rose, you’re in a lab. They made you sleep so you could talk to me. I can see you right now.  
_

The chairs. The headset. It slowly came back to her.

_I’m sorry that was confusing, but I’m here. I’m watching over you. You’re safe. If we were bonded, I could calm you easily._

_What do you mean, bonded?_

_Lupa and I were bonded after we were married. Well, technically, before, but that's not important. It’s how we could communicate, like you experienced in the dream. All of my people are connected, but not as intensely as a mated pair. It’s deeper. You can feel each other all the time.  
_

_How? That force or whatever Torchwood suspected was there, does it have to do with that?_

_I won’t share here._

_Because you don’t trust them?_

_Yes. It’s my job to protect my people. I won’t bring—I can’t._

_Alright. We're not done with this, though. What were you trying to tell me before?_

_I love you._

She didn’t speak.

_Rose?_

_You really love me?_

_Yes. And I need you to know it’s not because of Lupa. I heard that monster taunting you, and none of what he said is true. If we were in a different world and I had known only you, I would feel no different._

_I don’t know what to say._

_You don’t need to know. I know your feelings are returned when you scream my name at the height of your pleasure._

_Cheeky!_

_I wish I could see you blushing right now. I wish I could feel it in you._

_Maybe if I stay with you, that could happen.  
_

_Would you like that?_

_I know we can't directly talk, but I've never felt more connected to someone._

_That's... that's good._

_If I have to leave home, I wouldn't want to be with anyone else._

_I'm sorry I'm asking you to leave._

_Don't be. Everyone leaves home in the end._

_I'm so glad I met you, Rose._

_Me, too._ They were both a little too shy to say anything after that, so Rose changed the subject. _Can I ask this now? Why don’t you trust them?_

He didn’t reply.

_Why, Theta?_

_It’s my fault._

_What’s your fault?_

_I lost my family. My wife, my… I knew Torchwood wasn’t safe. I should have tried harder to send them away._

_So it’s not really that you don’t trust them. You don’t trust yourself._

_I failed my people. I won’t bring harm on them again._

_How could you have known, though? It’s not your fault._

_How can I go back to them? How can I return home?_

Her heart broke, and then everything strangely faded after that.

She woke up in their bed, still groggy from the drugs they gave her. She blinked heavily and Theta’s face swam into view. She reached out to touch his cheek and he held her hand there.

He was lying next to her on his side, and he framed her face with his hands, touching their foreheads together.

Warmth spread through her body, starting from her head and reaching down to her toes. The drowsiness left her after a moment.

She opened her eyes, far more aware of Theta’s presence, far more aware of her own body. “Did you just do something?”

He smiled lightly.

She also needed to use the loo. “Ehm, excuse me for a moment.”

He gave her a cheeky grin.

When she returned, she said, “I guess you helped me get rid of all that. Thanks.” She smiled as she laid on her back next to him. “That’s your… job, I suppose.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and tucked her head into his chest, and they laid there silently for a while.

She loved this man. She’d completely fallen in love with him. She still didn’t understand how she could stay with him, but she wanted to, even if he couldn’t fully explain it then. She trusted that whatever it was, it would work out in the end. And she knew she couldn’t heal him; that he’d have to accomplish on his own. But she’d be damned if she didn’t want to help him try.

Her stomach tightened and she glanced at the wall clock. She was on the verge of a headache if she didn't eat soon. “It’s time for dinner. We should go join the others.”

The others were all smiles and happily chatting with each other. Rose grabbed a sandwich and a bag of crisps and sat next to Martha.  

“Are you alright?” she asked softly.

Rose tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Mickey said you were crying.”

“I was? I remember talking to Theta and then we just sort of stopped.”

“You started crying and Theta got out of his headset. He carried you from the lab all the way to your room.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. We were all sitting out here when he walked past with you. I wanted to look you over, but you were fine, just sleeping. Mickey said they gave you medicine. He’s friends with the techs in that lab.”

“Yeah, it knocked me out for a while. Jack said they had to do it so my senses would be dulled.”

“Makes sense. I don’t know enough about telepathy, but you have to engage a different part of your brain you’re not used to.”

Jack entered the lounge. “I have some news,” he announced. “We’ve done some recon of the island, checking for movement from van Statten, and there’s been nothing so far. The sooner we get him back home, the better. We’re leaving first thing in the morning. Is that alright with you?” He directed that question to Theta.

Everyone stilled and looked at him.

He looked at Rose, and she reached for his hand. That seemed to be enough for him.

\--

Rose was on the fringes of sleep when she felt his arms around her. She arched her back in a stretch and reached behind her to cup his neck. His chest was solid, warmth on her back. The tip of his nose grazed the skin behind her ear, his lips following a second later.

She turned over and wound her arms around his neck. “I love you, Theta.”

He cupped her cheek and kissed her.

She spoke when their lips parted. “Theta--I want--to stay--”

He sat up and looked down at her in shock.

“No! Theta!" She laughed and grabbed his shirt as she sat up. "I mean, with you. You didn't give me a chance to finish."

His face softened.

"You said you’d explain later about everything, but I don’t need to know." She straddled his legs, her stomach flipping when he held her waist. "I’ve made my decision. I’m not leaving you.” He gently kissed her, and when she touched his cheek, she felt a tear. "Are you crying?" He nuzzled her neck and his chest heaved, and she played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Then he was at attention. He stared at the door and back at her, like he was waiting for something. She puzzled over what he wanted, but she couldn’t discern what it was. He nodded more obviously at the door. Laughter came from down the hall, and it dawned on her then what he was trying to say.

She’d have to leave her friends behind. “Oh.”

He watched her intently.

“Martha and Mickey and Donna, they’ve been my family since I don’t have anyone.”

He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers, palms together.

“I want to go sit with them for a bit.”

Turning their joined hands, he kissed the back of hers and lay on the pillow.

“You’re not coming?”

He shook his head.

“Alright. I’ll be back in a bit.” She took a blanket and padded down the hallway to the common area. Mickey and Martha and her brother were out in the lounge. She made a cup of herbal tea and enjoyed reminiscing with her friends. She wouldn’t share her decision with them.

She’d say her goodbyes on the island.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew flies out to Gallifrey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, so, I decided to break what I had planned into more than one chapter, just made it easier to write. We're not out of the woods yet!!! *rim shot* Thanks, I'm here all week, folks!

“Goooooooood morning, sexy people! Rise and shine!”

Rose’s eyes flew open as the voice rudely interrupted her sleep.

Jack was at the door, chipper and annoying as ever. He flipped on the light.

She groaned and pulled the duvet over her head.

He laughed and jumped over Rose to land between her and Theta, who then rolled over and shoved a pillow in the man’s face. He shielded himself with an elbow and dissolved into a fit of giggles. “I’m not the person you wanted to wake up to, eh?” His eyes lit up. “Oo! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve envisioned this exact scenario in the last forty-eight hours. We should wake up like this more often.”

Rose bolted up and out of bed at that. “I’m up, I’m up!” She gathered her bathroom kit and clothes for the day.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a non-morning person, Theta. Unless you were busy last night. Wore yourselves out, did you?” Jack spooned Theta from behind, throwing his leg over his hip.

Theta threw him off and went to grab his own kit.

“You slept in those jeans, Theta?”

Rose said, “I was up late in the lounge with Mickey and Martha and Leo.”

“Did you all enjoy the liquor we put out there?”

“Oh yeah we did. Mickey’s a great bartender. And this one—” she nodded at Theta— “actually slept last night, which doesn’t happen often.”

“Does he snore?”

“Yeah, but just a little bit every now and then. It’s kind of adorable.” She grinned. “Give me a few minutes in the shower, yeah? It’ll help wake me up.”

“Take your time, but we do need to leave soon. We’ll have a breakfast box and coffee for you once we’re in the air.”

“Thanks.” Draping her towel over her arm, she stepped out of the room and Theta followed.

\--

The whole crew rode in two military-style helicopters: Jack, Mickey, Martha, Theta, Rose, and some other armed agents for security. Theta frowned at the guns, but Jack explained they couldn’t not count on van Statten following them. They were only for protection. He was only mildly appeased.

Theta shifted in his seat next to Rose. Then he tugged at his earlobe and shifted again.

She touched his arm. “Are you alright?”

He swallowed and managed a meager smile.

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, you’re not, but you’re using the fact you can’t tell me anyway to hide behind.”

He sheepishly tugged on his ear again.

“I’ll take that as an apology.” She patted his arm.

At that, he really did smile. She definitely had his number.

Jack told them not too long after that to be watching out of the windows.

Rose could see the hesitancy in Theta’s eyes. It hit her then that they must be close to the island. He’d been able to sense it. She reached for his hand. “Hey, I’m sure it’ll be alright.” She leaned over him to look out the window. And, suddenly, there was an island. It hadn’t been there, and then it was there, and it was enormous. She gasped a little. Theta smiled. “It’s beautiful,” she remarked.

She’d never been to Iceland, but she had to imagine it was comparable in size. There was definitely a horizon lined with mountains beyond the massive forest and no ocean in sight on the other side. Rose briefly wondered if the island, like its counterpart to the north, was also formed with the assistance of volcanoes.

They were flying towards a cape, onto which the forest extended. A beach served as a buffer between the ocean and the trees. “Fly over,” Jack told the pilot. “Smoke's rising on the other side. Looks like everyone’s out to welcome you home, Theta.”

He nodded as he took in the sight for himself. His lips were drawn together in a thin line. He stared at nowhere in particular, and then at Rose, and out the window again. That was odd. Perhaps he wasn’t communicating with her, though. He must have been speaking with or listening to someone on the ground.

Jack interrupted her wondering. “When we get out, keep your jackets on since we’re in the northern part of the Atlantic, and that wind can feel real cool if you catch it just right. It's lucky we're not going in the winter or you'd really be uncomfortable."

Rose hadn’t thought of the climate when she’d agreed to live with him, and she asked him how she’d survive in the winter and how hadn’t he thought to at least try to warn her. He smirked, amused at her concern. “It’s not funny,” she countered. “I’m not cold-blooded like you.” The corner of his eyes crinkled when he grinned, and he draped his arm around her shoulder to bring her in for a kiss. “You’re not using that to shut me up all the time, you know.” He winked.

The opposite side of the cape came into view. Rose pointed out the fires burning on the sand and the little dots of people below. “Jack was right. Looks like they’ve rolled out the red carpet.” He tilted his head. “They must be excited to see you, I mean.”

“Everyone prepare to land,” Jack directed.

\--

The wind was indeed strong, and Rose was grateful she wore one of her zipped hoodies beneath her jacket. Her hair wouldn't stay out of her face. She brushed it away every time a gust came in off the sea, but gave up eventually and regretted not thinking to stuff a few bobbies in her pocket. Nor had she packed a bag. All her belongings were in the flat she’d left behind, and she hadn’t wanted to give away that she was staying. Besides, she’d wanted to fully assimilate into his world. She’d gather a whole new set of belongings.

She turned from the helicopter to take in the gathering crowd. Some were crying, some were smiling. Rose noted that none of them were angry, and she held Theta’s hand in support. He would have nothing to worry about in the end, even if he carried his guilt for a while longer.

The crowd parted, and a woman, ancient and hunched, looking all the part of the village sage, approached them. Rose almost recognized her, which threw her for a loop. When the woman raised her hand and Theta threw up an arm defensively on reflex, she placed her instantly: Lupa’s mother, Theta’s mother-in-law. She had to keep from barking out a laugh. Jackie Tyler had been known for slapping a few blokes in her day, and Rose supposed if her mum had lived to be a hundred years old, she would be this woman's mirror image.

This Jackie didn't slap him, though. Her smile said she'd only wanted to tease him, as did Theta's eye roll. The elderly woman affectionately cupped his cheeks and pulled his face closer to hers to examine him. When she touched his hair, he swatted her hand away, but she glared and did as she pleased. Rose giggled.

She wondered why he hadn’t let on that he recognized her mother in all the photos she showed to him. She supposed, knowing her own mum, if he were a thousand miles from his mother-in-law, he might consider it a nice vacation and pretend not to know her at all. He was cheeky like that. Then again, Theta might have worried if she held what had happened against him. After all, her daughter and grandchildren had been brutally executed. Had sharing her stories of Jackie been painful for him and he just hadn’t let on? She’d have to ask him later.

Not-Jackie glanced at Rose and back at Theta, and then she hugged him. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she turned her attention fully to Rose. Stared at her, like she saw straight into her soul. Rose wanted to shrink under her scrutiny, but she reached out to touch her cheek with a gleam of fondness in her eyes.

“I—I’m sorry for your loss. I know I’m not Lupa—”

The woman silenced her with a finger on Rose's lips (if that wasn’t Jackie Tyler herself) and gave her the same inspection she'd given Theta. Touching her hair. Hands gently going up and down her arms. Every once in a while looking at him. They must have been talking about her, she figured. Not-Jackie (Rose needed to learn her actual name) nodded, squeezed her hands, and to Rose's surprise, embraced her. Even more surprising was that Rose had started crying herself. She hadn't realized until then how much she had missed the warmth and comfort of her mum's arms.

The woman then hugged Jack with a scandalous look and the biggest grin. He greeted her with a laugh. “Hello, Mother!” Theta rolled his eyes. Rose had to giggle again.

It was then Rose noticed everyone else watching. Watching her and watching Theta. He must have been addressing them, judging by his many facial expressions. It was odd and endearing, him speaking in his own, natural way without hearing him. What a relief it must have been for him to finally be able to communicate naturally.

Then her smile faded as she wondered if this was how it would be for her from now on. She wanted to stay with him, yes, and her answer wouldn’t change. But now she was in his world. Without being able to understand, she would always be on the outside looking in. Then again, that was probably how Theta had felt for however long he’d been away from home, even if he had a way to understand. She’d tried her best to make sure he wasn’t lonely. He would do the same, she was sure. Maybe that was part of what he’d wanted to show her: a way for her to feel like she belonged.

Jack touched her shoulder and whispered, “We’re going to give you as long as you need to say goodbye. We’ve brought provisions to stay overnight, and we can leave tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” she said. That was when Theta tugged on her hand. “Are we going somewhere?”

He waved to his people and led her towards the forest.

“Where are we going?”

He grinned and started running, pulling her along until she caught up with him.

She was out of breath by the time they made it to the path at the edge of the woods and she looked around in wonder at the tall pines. “These trees are huge! I bet they’ve been growing forever.” Gazing up the length of the impossibly tall, thick trunk, she stopped at one further down the trail and felt the ancient bark. “Reminds me of those redwoods in California. I always wanted to go see them.” She beamed at Theta. “I guess I don’t need to now. They’ll be right outside my doorstep.” She walked around the base, stepping around the large roots, her hand trailing behind her. When she made it to the path again, he was gone. She panicked. “Theta?” She took a few more steps and yelped when he caught her from behind. “You scared me!” She eased into his embrace when he ducked his head to kiss her.

He held her hand and continued backwards down the path a few steps.

“I’m just wondering—” She doubled over in laughter. “I’m just wondering if you’ve ever shagged up against one of these trees.” He waggled his eyebrows and she giggled.

They continued in silence for quite a while. “This is a lot different from London. So quiet.” A bird called every now and then. Rose might have spotted a deer in the distance.

And then they stopped at a fork in the path. “Which way?” He hesitated, but Rose couldn't imagine why. Surely, he'd not already forgotten the layout of the land. His jaw clenched before he nodded to the right.

They came to a clearing filled with five modest log huts, all arranged in a circle around a common area. Wisps of smoke rose from a central fire pit. Each home had an awning and windows with no covering. Every roof was thatched; some had an open space, which Rose presumed was for building a fire inside if the inhabitants desired. Rope was strung up between a few of the shelters, maybe for the wash. They'd even hung up a hammock.

“Your village? It’s quite small for how many people there were on the beach. Are there more?” He nodded. “Will you show me later?” She peered through the woods and saw more, and then again in a different direction. “Oh. They’re in groups. Are they organized by family?”

But his attention wasn’t on her, and the reason for his earlier caution became apparent. He was staring at one of the homes in particular.

“Is that yours?” she asked softly. The graveness in his face was confirmation enough. “Do you need me to leave you alone?” He shook his head and squeezed her hand.

They stepped beneath the awning. Breathing deeply, he paused at the doorway, covered by a hand-woven curtain. It was dyed many different colors, red and green and blue, and white thread had been weaved within the emblem of a wolf. The house was not in his name, then. Rose was amused at the prospect of joining a matriarchal society, and she would have said something if not for the circumstances.

Theta’s eyes roamed over the pattern, and then he brushed it aside and walked in, holding it open for Rose to follow.

Inside, there were two rooms. The dividing wall faced the doorway. To the right was a small fire pit, confirming Rose’s theory about the hole in the roof. Various clay bowls and a sack of grain were on the wall next to the door. Two animal skins lined the floor for comfort. It was a cozy, simple, inviting arrangement.

Most important were the two small cots, each lining the left and dividing walls. They were covered with neatly-placed cloths like the one that hung in the doorway. He knelt by one of the beds and picked up the small animal resting on it. A bird, maybe, carved out of wood. Then he smoothed a hand over the bed and his breath caught. He moved to the other bed and clutched the small shirt to his chest that had been lying on the floor.

Rose hadn’t forgotten the dream, the last time he’d seen his children, what it felt like to hold their lifeless bodies. She could only imagine the grief he was bearing as he was left with only a cold bed. One could recover from a lost love and find it anew, but there was no replacing a child.

He turned to the opening in the dividing wall, but stopped before entering. He looked at Rose. At the floor. Back at her. His chin quivered. He was still so broken over this, so she went to him. He buried his face in her neck and cried. She rubbed his back in large, slow circles until he lifted his head, sniffed, and wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve.

She followed him into the other room. It was smaller, but there was one bed and it was bigger than the children’s. The covers hadn’t even been made, and based on what she knew of Theta, she could guess exactly what had been done to mess them up, and they probably hadn't been touched since he'd disappeared. It seemed like a terribly private moment, and she didn't want to intrude. “I’ll wait outside.”

Theta didn’t want her to leave, but he also didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. He supposed he should take the moment alone to remember Lupa, even though he’d say his last words at the burial grounds on his own at a later time.

He laid in his old space on the left side. The bed didn’t smell like Lupa anymore, not after they’d both been gone for so long, but he was alright with that. He was with Rose now, and he was more than happy to share his bed with her. As Lupa had said in the dream all that time ago, he wouldn’t have traded his time with her for anything, but she’d given him permission to move on. He’d’ve done the same had their roles been reversed. He stretched out a hand to her side as tears filled his eyes, and he smiled, hoping she would be proud of him.

_BANG_

It cut right through him, that awful, explosive sound. He’d heard it only once before on the island, the day he’d been taken, and that could only mean one thing.

“Theta! Come on out, Theta!”

He knew that voice, and it chilled his blood.

“I want to make a deal with you. I have something I think you’ll _really_ be interested in, so come on out.”

Rose. That bastard had Rose. He ran for the door.

The man then cried out.

She yelled, “Don’t, Theta!”

He made it just in time to see Harold Saxon land a hard punch in Rose’s kidney. She grunted and staggered forward. Theta rushed to help her, but he froze in terror as Saxon managed to grab her from behind again and held his gun to the side of her head.

“Your little bitch just bit me!" He pushed it at her more forcefully. "I’m not normally this kind, as you know. I would have just shot her, but for your sake, I’m willing to be charitable.”

Rose struggled and winced through her tears.

Theta then noticed the two men with guns trained on both him and Rose, weapons even bigger than Saxon’s. He knew the havoc they could wreak, and he wasn’t about to endanger Rose or his people a second time.

“If you cooperate, everything will be fine, but if you refuse, I’ll gladly put a bullet through her brain, just like I did the other one.” Rose struggled to free herself from his grasp, but Harold was awfully strong. “Whaddya say, big guy? Wanna help me out?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets real. It's an intense chapter, but no evil cliffie this time. WARNINGS: A broken bone. Involves a needle for drawing blood and some gun use. Some dark TLV!Theta. Someone dies FINALLY YOU BASTARD and Rose is in mortal danger, but does not die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had debated for a long time about how to approach the warning "Major Character Death." The plan was never for Rose to fully die/stay dead, but I wanted to use it all the same because of what happens in this chapter and what happened to Elisa in the movie. I just didn't know how it was all going to shake out until I wrote it, but I think I'm happy with how it's working out.
> 
> Everything will be much happier in the next chapter, I promise. 
> 
> Also, I'm sure that medically a bunch of things are wrong in this. It's unbeta'd and I'm just writing what's in my head, so please forgive me!

Theta had no choice but to comply with Saxon's demands. He swallowed and solemnly nodded.

“Good man. Now, take me to the light.”

“Theta, no!” Rose struggled to be free of his grip.

Harold’s arm tightened around her. He spoke through gritted teeth. “Don’t make this difficult for him." He glanced at Theta. “Would you like me to shut her up for you? It would be my honor.”

Theta glared for a moment. How he would love to get his hands on this man again. And this time, he wouldn’t stop the burning. But he couldn’t, not now. Not with Rose at stake. Harold didn’t know Idris, and neither did she, for that matter. Idris could handle herself. No sense in risking Rose for nothing.

Warmth seeped into his gut. Confirmation. This was not how he had intended to be reunited with the lady of the lake, but needs must.

“Well?” Harold prompted.

Theta simply headed down the path, away from the cluster of homes.

Harold followed with Rose and the two guards in tow.

She dug in her heels.

“You’re such a stubborn woman, y’know? This would be so much easier if you’d just _cooperate!”_ He brought his elbow down hard on her right shoulder, and it cracked.

Rose screamed in pain and fell to her knees.

Theta turned, the dark look of a hurricane swirling in his gaze.

“Get her under control, or I’ll leave her behind to rot. Both of you. Those agents won’t hesitate to shoot on my command, and I’ll do this myself.”

He knelt in front of Rose, lifted her chin. The tears in her eyes gutted him.

“Please don’t do this,” she whispered. “Please. I’m not worth it. Don’t, please, don’t—”

That couldn't be further from the truth. He cupped her cheek and kissed her, just for a moment. He put the gentlest amount of pressure on her shoulder. She hissed. It was broken, then, and he doubted Saxon would let him take the time to heal her. He unzipped her jacket and gingerly removed it from her person, his stomach churning when she whimpered.

“Making a sling?” she asked.

He nodded and tied her arm to her body. He offered his hand, which she took with her non-injured arm. Glaring at Saxon again over her shoulder, he walked her further down the path. He lifted her shirt out of the man’s view and examined her back where she’d been punched. A large bruise was forming on her right side.

“You can fix me, right?”

Oh, Rose. His Rose. He was torn between anger at her recklessness and anger at Saxon and tenderness for her. She’d been willing to take a hit for him, banking on him healing her wounds. Harold likely knew it, too, and was all the more happy to take advantage of her.

He pressed his forehead to hers and touched her temples. He couldn’t fix her, not until he had time later, but he could dull the pain for a while. Her body relaxed against his.

She whispered, “Thank you.”

“Are you quite done?” Harold called. “I’d like to get a move on.”

He kissed her forehead, held her hand, and the party continued. When they reached the fork in the path, they went to the right, the path that Rose and Theta hadn’t taken earlier.

Rose stumbled every so often the further they went. She may not have felt the pain, but that didn’t mean still she wasn’t injured or her body didn’t need rest. He didn’t know if Saxon had done anything to her before he’d fired off that shot to get his attention.

Finally, the forest thinned and they arrived at the edge of the lake.

“Ah,” Harold crooned. “I didn’t get to see this on my last visit, the first time we met, but I’ve been hiding out here for a few days. It’s quite lovely at night. Built-in light show and everything.”

“How did nobody see you?” she asked.

He held up his wrist to show off what looked like an ordinary watch. “Perception filter. It’s how you didn’t notice me sneaking up on you earlier. Makes you want to not pay attention to the subject wearing it.”

Rose furrowed her brows as he turned it on. She tried to focus on him, but it made her head hurt. She blinked when he came back into view.

“Anybody would have made that mistake. Even the people who live here. Now, Theta, before you take me behind that waterfall, I need you to do another favor for me.”

“What do you want from him now?”

“I need you to sit on that rock." He nodded to a wide, flat stone a few steps away. "I’m not stupid enough to think I’d be able to persuade you by any means to come back with me to van Statten’s facilities, but you can leave me with a parting gift. Then my boss won’t completely remove my arse when I return to him empty-handed.” He pulled several bags and a plastic tube out of his coat pocket and tossed them to Rose.

“You want me to take blood? There's more than one bag here.”

“Yes, and you're going to fill all of them.”

Her face grew paler than it already was. “I can’t. I won’t.”

“You will. You’ll do this, and then you’ll never have to hear from me again. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for the death of his precious love a second time, would you?”

Her gaze fell to the ground. “N-no.”

“Because you’re inching your way there. Look, just a few pints. That’s all I’m asking for.”

She counted the bags. “Five. You want five? He could die!”

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and she leaned away from his touch. “Love, you forget I’ve tried to kill him numerous times. The bastard is like a cockroach in a nuclear attack. He’ll survive. I promise. And if not, you can personally kill me. That’s how sure I am he’ll be fine.”

“Really?”

“I don’t think you have the guts to kill me, though. You’re far too compassionate.”

“Unlike you.”

He laughed, arrogant and sadistic. “The only reason I didn’t lob off his head was because van Statten wouldn’t give me permission. He’s much more interested in the money he can make, which isn’t a terrible idea. We’ve found a scientist, a Dr. Richard Lazarus. Surely even you've heard of him."

"Doesn't he do skin care products? Anti-aging serums and such?"

"Yes! Good. But he's far too brilliant for menial work like that. He thinks he can crack the formula of his blood and replicate it on an immense scale. Think of it. We’ve discovered the fountain of youth. Virtual immortality! How much would rich people pay to live an extra few years?”

“You’re sick,” she spat. “Both of you. And that doctor. Life wasn't meant to be lived forever.”

“Pithy statement. Sick men like us make the world go round.” He scratched the side of his head with the barrel of his pistol. “Now, Theta, sit on that stone, and not another word out of you, Rose. I’m sick of hearing your voice.”

Theta pressed his lips hard to hers. His eyes pleaded with her to listen.

Harold scoffed. “Honestly. You two make me gag.”

He sat, and Saxon tied a tourniquet around his left arm. “There. Get to work.”

Rose stood frozen next to him. She studied the kit in her hand, and then met Theta's gaze.

He held out his arm.

Her bottom lip trembled. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. She fumbled with the needle of the kit, and then discovered the bags were attached to the same line. She was furious. “You want to drain five pints at once?”

“Why not? Efficiency.”

“Where did you get it? It’s not even a… a thing. No medical facilities would ever dream of using something like this.”

He grinned as if it were obvious. “You can make anything with 3D printers. Terribly useful technology.”

“Well, fuck. There’s just no depth to the lack of your conscience, is there?”

“I haven’t found the bottom yet, sweetheart. Now get on with it.”

“I don’t necessarily know that it’s going to be any better. Did you even test this? No, wait, I don’t want to know the answer to that.” She found Theta’s good vein and inserted the needle. She apologized again. “Please don’t die on me.” She met his eyes when he touched her arm. “Please.”

The corner of his lips turned up.

“I know you’re trying to reassure me, but I feel awful.”

His thumb stroked her skin.

“I don’t understand how you can be so calm about this. At the very least, you'll pass out.” She fiddled with the bags at the base of the stone to make sure the lines were clear. When she stood again, he pulled her to sit between his legs and kissed the back of her neck.

Harold groaned. “Really? Right now?” He turned to one of his guards. “Go get my chair, would you?”

“Sir.”

Theta reached under her shirt to touch her back.

She giggled. “Like he said, right now?” His hand warmed her skin. “What’s that?” Her injured side tingled and she felt pleasantly drowsy. “You’re doing that… thing, aren’t you?” She relaxed into him. “Oh, that feels good.” He nuzzled her cheek, and then the spot became sore. Really sore. She winced. It was sore and painful for a while and then gradually eased. He removed his hand and laced his fingers with hers. Straightening her back, she leaned to the left and right and twisted. “It doesn’t hurt anymore! Is it all healed, then?”

Harold clapped from his seat several meters away. “Fantastic. How’s that blood coming?”

Rose scowled. “Y’know, I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Why don’t you check it for me?” He flashed her a saccharine grin.

She rolled her eyes and knelt at the base of the stone, shifting each bag. “Looks like you’ve got a little over a pint, best I can estimate. Happy?”

“Steady on, then.”

She sat with Theta again. “Any chance you can get my shoulder?”

He shook his head and held out his arm.

“Oh. It would use up some strength or something?”

He smiled apologetically.

“It’s alright, and I’m sorry you had to use some on me.”

He shook his head.

“I suppose now you can lean on me when you feel weak.”

His eyes filled with affection.

“At least we’re together. That’s all that matters.”

He teared up and kissed her.

“Fuck. I’m fed up with this ridiculous display of affection.” Harold stood from his chair and spoke to one of his agents behind him. “Guard them while I take a piss, will you?”

“Sir.”

Rose felt like she could breathe then. "Are you being extra sweet to annoy him?"

He cocked his head to the side.

She laughed. "Good. It's working." She looked at the two guards. “Aren’t you sick of him?”

They didn’t answer.

“How can you even stand him?”

One shrugged. “The pay’s good.”

“But you’re, like, okay with what he does? How do you sleep at night?”

The other one said, “I bought a nice bed with it, so pretty well.” The first guard laughed at that.

“What do your mothers think?”

“She’s dead,” they both answered.

“Oh. Are you brothers?”

The first one spoke up. “Yeah. Look, we had nowhere to go. van Statten gave us work. We’d probably be in jail if not for him.”

“Oh, how kind of him. But don’t you want to do something better, make the world a better place? I bet if you talked to Jack, he could put you to work.”

“Who’s Jack?”

“Are you trying to steal my men, Rose?” Saxon appeared out of the undergrowth.

“I’m trying to give them something to think about.”

“Well, don’t.” He plopped down in his chair. “Should’ve told them to shoot you if you talk. Your friend’s getting a little drowsy, is he?”

She looked over her shoulder. He looked sluggish, and she leaned over. The bags were a little under half-full. “Christ, that was… really fast. How’d you lose that much so quickly?”

In truth, he was working to expel his blood more quickly, just to get it over. His bone marrow was already replacing what he’d lost, but not nearly fast enough. He’d feel the effects of this for only a day or two. That, however, wasn’t soon enough to protect Rose if need be. Perhaps he should slow down a little.

“Are you alright?”

He blinked and rested his chin on her good shoulder.

“Can you get him some water or something?”

Oh, good thinking on Rose’s part. That would definitely help. What would he do without her?

Saxon held out his hands. “Do I look like I have a cup on me?”

“Yeah, but you said you’ve been staying out here.”

“Well, I don’t feel like getting anything since I just sat down, and I’m not sending one of my guns to get it, either. No water.”

“You’re… awful.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“No.”

“Then shut up.”

She did, but more out of worry for Theta.

As the time went by, he felt drowsier. Rest beckoned him, and he might have gone under for a few moments. Then Rose tensed slightly. He slowly opened his eyes.

Five Gallifreyans had emerged silently from the forest. Two had put the guards in a sleeper hold, and the other two kept them from struggling or crying out and helped carry them away. The fifth had sneaked up behind Saxon and touched his fingers to his temples. The man hadn’t noticed a thing.

Mickey and Jack had taken the guns before they fell to the ground and stood in place of the guards.

Had he dreamed all of that? He slowly blinked.

Jack winked at him and put a finger to his lips.

Rose leaned over slightly to check the bags. “Looks like they’re almost full.”

Saxon shook his head. He’d been in a trance. “What?”

She studied him.

“What is it?” he demanded.

“Ehm. The bags are full, but I can’t get up. I have to support this useless lump, and that’s hard enough as it is with an injured shoulder.”

“Fine. Will you two go help?” He looked over his shoulder. “Oh, shit!”

Jack and Mickey gave him a cheeky wave.

Then all hell broke loose, but it passed in slow motion for Theta.

Saxon bolted up and threw his chair in Mickey’s direction. Jack made a run for him and jumped, but couldn’t manage a tackle before he’d pulled out his pistol and launch a bullet at the pair.

Theta watched it happen, but he was too sluggish to shove Rose out of the way. All he could do was brace for the impact. She fell into him, which pushed him back onto the stone. He held his head up enough to protect his skull.

Everything resumed its proper pace.

Rose. She’d been shot.

Mickey shouted and ran over. “Rose! Oh god, Rose. Shit, you’re bleeding a lot. It went right through your wrist, near your heart. Fuck!” He whipped off his jacket and pressed it to her arm. “Theta, are you alright? Did it get you?”

No. He was fine. Rose needed him.

“Theta! Are you alright?”

Supernatural strength filled him. He ripped the needle out of his arm and, pressing his hand to Mickey’s to maintain pressure, and sat up. He then lifted her. With Mickey’s help, they laid her on the ground. He had to at least close her wounds. He straddled her hips and untied the makeshift sling from around her. His gut twisted at all the blood flowing from the wounds. Lifting and placing both hands around her wrist, he focused on binding the skin back together. He could repair the internal damage later. Mickey helpfully pressed his coat to the wound in her chest. Satisfied with the shoddy work, he motioned for Mickey to move.

He stared at the wound. If the bullet hadn’t hit her heart, it had at least nicked it. Even if he fixed the wound on the surface, it wouldn’t stop the internal bleeding.

She tried to say his name, but coughed up blood instead.

“Do something!” Mickey shouted and lifted her slightly onto his knees to keep her from choking. “You’re a healer!”

Tears stung his eyes and rage boiled up inside of him, so he did the only thing he could think to do. His dark eyes turned on the man responsible. He wouldn’t be a healer today. Theta’s hands burned, and the air rippled around him as he stalked towards the pair in the grass.

Jack had wrestled Saxon to the earth and tossed the gun away, but not far enough for his liking. He couldn’t afford to fix that mistake, though. Terrified at the look of death in his eyes, he waited as long as he could stand before rolling away and rushing to Rose’s side to help. 

Saxon managed to roll within reach of the gun and fired multiple shots. He stared as the bullets seemed to dissolve in the air before they could reach him. “What the fu—”

Theta picked up his shoulders, slammed him fully to the ground, and pinned his arms with his knees. He reached around Saxon’s throat and squeezed. The man squirmed beneath him, gagging, struggling to scream from the pain of the burning, but Theta wouldn’t stop. The man's face flushed red and his eyes bulged, but he wouldn’t stop. Not until he had the satisfaction of his death.

Then everything froze. Saxon was frozen in time, sheer horror painted in his eyes.

_Theta._

His pulse roared in his ears. He wouldn’t let go and squeezed harder to no avail.

_Theta Sigma._

He still wouldn’t let go. He choked on a sob.

_Theta Sigma, listen._

Hands gently touched his, and he looked up into the face of Lupa, her eyes a flash of gold and boring into his soul.

He scrambled back. _Lupa!_

_Idris sent me because she knew it would get your attention._

He looked her over, still hardly daring to believe his eyes. He slowly sat up. _It's you?_

_Yes, and you listen to me, Theta. I know you are angry, and you have right to be, but Idris did not imbue you with strength for this. Your hands are for healing, not killing._

_He's killed her. He killed you, and now he’s taken Rose._

_She's not dead yet._

_She will be!_ Tears streamed down his cheeks.

She moved closer and touched his face. _Even if that were the case, would you want her to die without you holding her hand?_

_No._

_Would Rose want to see you like this? Would you want her to see you like this?  
_

His resolved finally broke and he hung his head in shame. _No._

She lifted his chin. _You can't stop fighting for her now._ _Idris gave you strength so you could bring Rose to the light. All is not lost. You can't lose hope. Of all things, you can't lose that.  
_

He sniffed and nodded. _What about him?_

_Justice will prevail, but not by your hand._

His gaze fell to the ground.

 _Blood on your hands through vengeance is not a good look for you. I'll see you one more time at the burial grounds. Goodbye for now, Theta._ She vanished. 

He looked around the lake. The mist from the waterfall was suspended in the air. A small wave ceased mid-lap at the shore. The forest was completely silent. He breathed in the moment of peace.

He took in the scene behind him. The two men were huddled over Rose’s form, desperation having paused in its coursing through their bodies.

He considered Jack. He had never really appreciated the man's presence, never fully trusted him. It occurred to him he could move Jack to stand guard over Saxon. He wouldn't hesitate to shoot if need be. Mickey wouldn't either, he was sure, but he was currently putting pressure on Rose's wound, and he needed that for only a second more. With that, Theta moved Jack over by Saxon and kneeled over Rose. The sight of blood on her cheek made him sick.

He touched her temples. _Rose._

_Theta? What’s happening?_

_You were shot, Rose. Everything is in stasis right now.  
_

_Am I dead?_

_No. And you’re not dying in this state, but if I don’t get you to Idris in time when this passes, you will._

_Don’t leave me._

_I’m not. I’m never leaving you, Rose._

_Please don't leave me, Theta. I'm scared.  
_

How could he have done? He'd never forgive himself. His desire for vengeance had blinded him.

_I can’t breathe. It hurts. Oh god, this hurts, Theta. Everything burns. Am I dying? Is this what it's like?  
_

His hearts twisted. _I’m going to carry you. You’ve got to stay with me for a little longer. Keep fighting. Can you do that for me?_

_I’ll try._

The action around him resumed.

Coughing and sputtering and groans of pain came from somewhere, likely Saxon. Jack staggered a few steps. “What—what the fuck? I was over—” “Theta!” Mickey shouted. “You need to—holy shit!”

Theta scooped Rose up into his arms and she coughed more blood. He carried her as fast as he could towards the waterfall.

“Weak!” Saxon coughed and managed to turn himself over. “You _weak bastard!_ You can’t even finish the job!”

Theta didn’t see, but Harold reached for the gun again. Jack pulled a pistol from the holster attached to his suspenders and fired. Harold was gone for good. Theta didn’t even flinch.

“Should we follow them?” Mickey wondered.

“No. I think we just need to wait,” Jack answered.

“But Rose—and all that blood he'd lost...” He stared as they disappeared behind the waterfall. “Is that… light?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened after Theta made it to the waterfall. Lots of conversatin' since they can speak without a machine between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was trying to fit everything into one last chapter, but it's turned into 7k words and that's just too much. For editing purposes, I'm splitting it up. Hope y'all don't mind!

And wait they did.

Three of the Gallifreyans took Saxon’s body somewhere away from the lake. Jack didn’t know what they intended to do, but he was sure they’d find a proper way to dispose of his body. He contacted the home base via satellite phone to update them on the situation. Paperwork was his least favorite part of the job, so if he could have the report ready to simply sign by the time he returned, all the better for him.

Mickey followed two of the Gallifreyans back to the beach. Martha threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

There had been a brief shootout between some of Saxon’s men and Torchwood, which resulted in the death of one agent and injuries to two others. That was why Mickey and Jack had left to see to Theta and Rose, and Martha had stayed behind to tend to the wounded. None of the Gallifreyans had been injured. They’d prepared from the last time and learned how shield themselves using Idris’s energy.

While most of the Gallifreyans returned to their homes, some of them stayed at the lake and set up tents, providing a few for their Torchwood guests, as well as food.

“Do you think Rose is alright?” Martha asked. She and Mickey were sitting on the beach on the third night of their stay.

“The people don’t seem to be worried,” he said. He enjoyed the way the light from the waterfall gently highlighted her features. “In fact, some of them seemed kind of excited this morning. Remember?”

“Yeah, they were all looking at the waterfall. Something’s happening in there.” She sighed. “I wish I could check on her.”

His gaze fell to the sand. “Just be glad you didn’t have to see it happen. It was… she was bad, Martha. I never want to see that again.”

“Was that what bothered you last night? You woke and tossed for a bit.”

“You knew? Sorry I kept you up.”

She laced her fingers with his and laid her head on his shoulder. “Don’t be.”

“Martha?”

“Yeah?”

“When we get back, I’m taking you on a proper date.”

“You are?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not going to ask? You’re just assuming you’re taking me on a date?”

He laughed. “Sorry.”

“Just ask me.”

“Martha, can I take you on a proper date?”

“Yes.”

“So is it alright to say that we’re officially together now? You’re my girlfriend?”

She grinned. “Yeah.”

Suddenly, the light burned so brightly they had to shield their eyes. The Gallifreyans pulled them away from the lake and they had to stay in the village that night. Some of them cried as they went.

“What do you think that was?” Martha asked Jack and Mickey on the way.

Jack sighed through his nose. “I think that means Rose isn’t coming back to London.”

Martha stopped. “She’s not? Why?”

“We’ll find out soon.”

“No, I need to know. She’s my best friend. Why wouldn’t she be coming back with us?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Something that happened the last time we were here. It was after a wedding. The light does that. The couple goes behind the waterfall and that happens. I don’t know what it means, but everyone stays away to give them privacy, I presume. It’s just part of their rituals.”

She stopped. “Wait. She’s marrying him?”

“I think so. I can’t say I’m surprised. They jump each other’s bones when no one's looking. I’d probably marry him if I had the chance.” He laughed. “Rose, too, of course, but… wow, he’s a beautiful man. Don’t ask where I’ve been if I disappear for a while.”

Martha cleared her throat and continued along the path. “I guess the important part is that she’s alive.”

Jack looked sheepish. “Of course, yeah. That is good.”

Mickey offered, “It’s interesting, though, if you think about it. She’s human. She’ll live, what, a good sixty years or more. Probably more with all the fresh air out here."

“Good point,” Jack said. “He’s still young for his people, I think, but I don’t know how they’ll work that out.”

“I suppose if you love someone that wouldn’t matter,” Martha said. “You know, I thought I heard Rose say something on the way here. Mickey and I were sitting in front of them.”

Jack looked at her. “What’s that?”

“When you mentioned about the cold in winter, I think she said something about not thinking of the weather, like she’d have to live with it. I thought it was odd, but I didn’t really think of why she’d say something like that.”

“She’s gonna have to learn to put up with it now.”

\--

Theta finally made it to the waterfall to the sound of Rose’s ragged breathing.

Idris was waiting in the cavern, and she touched Rose’s temples to put her in stasis. _Rest,_ she told him. _I have her._

_Idris, I’m sorry._

_Theta, I have neither the time nor the patience for you to feel sorry for yourself!_ She lifted Rose from his arms and suspended her body in the air. Her eyes glowed when she pressed her hand to the woman’s chest. _I’m repairing everything. She’ll be fine._

_You know why I brought her to you? Aside from… well._

_Yes. That was the plan, Theta. I knew you’d sort it._

_So you can change her?_

_Of course I can, but she needs to consent to it first._

_Do you think she will?_

_Theta, she loves you. She wanted to stay without knowing there was a way to be with you. What do you think?_

_Even after all that? I was a monster. How could she—_

_Did you not hear me? Now, Theta, lie down. If you don’t do it on your own, I’ll make you._

His body felt sluggish. Idris’ strength was threatening to leave, and he’d collapse on the rock in he didn’t listen. _Fine,_ he said petulantly. Further in the cavern, Theta spotted a bed against the wall.

 _Andrea had it prepared for you,_ she remarked.

Oh, bless Lupa’s mother. He lay in it and covered himself with the blanket. Sleep came swiftly, and it was deep and dreamless.

Sometime later, (it was dark beyond the waterfall, he noted) he stirred when he felt something above him. Rose was crawling over him to join him on the bed. _Rose!_

She didn’t answer. The change hadn’t happened yet. But she was _alive._ Alive and well and well enough to join him in bed.

As she settled beneath the covers facing him, he pulled her to himself and kissed her hard, sighing as she molded herself to the length of his body and responded in kind. He shuddered when her fingers plunged into his hair.

He couldn’t speak to her directly, but since they were so close to Idris, perhaps he could speak while touching her. He slipped both hands beneath her shirt and splayed his fingers on her back. _Rose._

She pulled back, her eyes wide in surprise. “Theta? How can I hear you?”

_This is my home. The energy here is strong enough to connect. All I need to do is touch you._

“Oh.” She smiled. “Are you alright? Better?”

 _Yes. I’ll need to sleep more, but I’m fine for now._ His smile faded. _And you. You were…_ He swallowed, brushing his thumb over the hole in her shirt. Her body may be healed, but the memory of what had happened was still very real.

“Idris said she healed me. Is she your goddess or something?”

_Yes, in a sense. And she did what I could not._

“What happened out there? I remember Jack and Mickey showing up, and then everything is kind of a blur after that.”

_Saxon shot you._

“I remember that, too.”

_I couldn’t get you out of the way in time._

“I didn’t want you to.”

He cupped her cheeks and looked at her insistently. _Rose, why would you say that?_

“I wanted you safe. What if you had died? You had already lost so much blood.”

 _The bullet went through your wrist right to your heart, or very near it. You were… bleeding, Rose. So much._ The image haunted him all over again and he shuddered, pressing his forehead to hers and holding her close.

She caressed his cheek. “So you brought me in here?”

_Rose, I—I thought I was going to lose you._

“But you didn’t.”

_No, listen. I need you to know this. I thought I was going to lose you._

She pulled back. “What happened?”

His gaze fell. _I tried to kill him._

“Oh, Theta,” she whispered.

 _I left you there, bleeding. You were dying and all I could think was how much I wanted his life to end by my hand, and I tried to…_ Tears filled his eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, Theta.” She threaded her fingers through his hair.

_I tried to strangle him. I’m so sorry._

“He’d taken so much from you. You had a right to be angry.”

_But it shouldn’t have mattered in that moment. I shouldn’t have left you._

“Wait. How did you manage it? You were so weak.”

_Idris gave me strength for a moment._

“So how did I get from bleeding out on the ground to in here if you were distracted?”

_Lupa appeared._

Her eyebrows raised. “Oh.”

_It was a vision. She spoke some sense to me._

“At least someone did.” She smiled.

_Then I listened to you for a moment. You were so afraid. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it. Or forgive myself.  
_

“I’m sure everyone is afraid while they’re dying.”

_I’m so sorry._

“I forgive you, Theta. And I’m here now.”

_There’s something else I need to tell you._

“Yes?”

_I was going to bring you here anyway before we were interrupted. I wasn’t able to tell you before we arrived, but there’s a way for us to be together for a lot longer than we would with you as a human._

“What do you mean?”

_Remember when I talked about bonding?_

“Yes. I still want to.”

He grinned. _Good. But we can’t bond with you as you are. You’d have to change. You’d have to become Gallifreyan._

“What?”

_Oh! This is my home, Gallifrey._

“Gallifrey, Gallifreyan. Okay, so how do I become Gallifreyan?”

_Idris has to change you. You’d have two hearts like me._

“And I’d be able to talk to you with my mind all the time?”

_Yes. And then we could bond._

“Would I still be able to speak out loud?”

_I don’t know. This has never happened before._

“I’d still do it, even if I couldn’t speak.”

_Oh, and you’d only have your cycle once every ten years or so._

“Wh—what?”

_You’re approaching your cycle. You were ovulating when we met._

She stiffened. “How do you know that? That’s kind of private.”

_Is it? Is it embarrassing for humans? I can’t imagine why._

“I suppose you’ve got extra special senses and all, so it wouldn’t be that hard for you to know.”

_The mix of your hormones is slightly different, but I understood the general idea._

“Oh god! We’ve had sex, a lot of it, and I know I’m on the pill, but you’ve probably got, like, super sperm or something. Am I going to get pregnant?”

_You’re not pregnant. And I have very good seed, yes, but I don’t think we mix._

“Wait. Ten years, you said?”

_We live for a long, long time, and coincidentally, there’s only so much space on this island._

“Oh, that’s an interesting adaption. You can’t really afford to have a lot of new life.”

_Yes._

“And it’s not embarrassing as such. More of a nuisance than anything. Is it painful like it is for human women?”

_Is it painful for you?_

“For some women it’s hard to get out of bed.”

 _Human bodies are rubbish, then. No, it was never painful for Lupa. Just an inconvenience, like you said. For her, yes, but more so for me because we had to withhold for a week or two if we didn’t want children to come of it._ He grinned and added with a waggle of his eyebrows, _At least the traditional way._

“You’re such a bloke.” She laughed. “Does pregnancy happen every cycle?”

_It doesn’t with humans?_

“Most of the time, but sometimes not. Sometimes there’s infertility. Sometimes you lose the baby before it’s born. Sometimes it just doesn't take.”

_Oh._

“Yeah.”

_What is the pill? I saw you taking something every morning, but I couldn’t ask you. Was that it?_

She nodded. “It keeps women from getting pregnant. It also helps with the pain and keeps you on a schedule.”

_Do you not want children, then?_

“I haven’t wanted to, not until the time was right for it. I haven’t really found anyone to want to have children with.”

_Would you want to? With me?_

“Someday, yeah. Just not, you know, right away.”

His hearts warmed and he kissed her. _I love you, Rose._ She tried to answer him, but he held the back of her head so she couldn’t part from him. To be cheeky, yes, and he loved her giggles, but because he needed to feel her lips on his. To know that this was real and she was alive. He needed to taste her skin, to feel her writhing beneath him. He hoped to Idris she didn’t lose her voice because he’d fallen in love with her soft moans and loud cries of pleasure, and he never wanted to be without them.

She must have needed him, too, must have felt what he did in the way he worshiped her mouth, because she held him tighter. “Please,” she breathed, and he could do nothing but obey.

Bare and sated some time later, they drifted to sleep in each other’s arms.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more fluffy stuff, which is great, but really I know we're all here for the smut, and lucky for you, I've got the goods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may be a bit before I put up the next chapter, but there's not really a cliffie, so it's cool. :) Hope you like!
> 
> Thank you to nat--blues (author of the amazing Arkytior -- please read that fic if you haven't!!!!!!) for looking this over!

_Rose,_ he said softly.

She stirred when she felt his gentle breath on her ear. “Hm?”

_You sleep too much. It’s the middle of the day already._

“Sorry.” She inhaled and rolled over. “What?”

He was lying on his stomach next to her and had propped his chin up in his hand. _You won’t need as much sleep soon._

She scrunched up her nose and smacked lips. “I feel gross.”

He rolled his eyes playfully. _You humans and your constant need to clean yourselves._

“Can I get some water or something?”

 _Yes._ He bounded up—still in the nude, she noted, taking in his lithe form—and collected some water in two bowls.

She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and sat against the cave wall on the bed. “Why am I not hungry? I didn’t eat at all yesterday except breakfast.”

He smirked as he sat next to her.

“Let me guess. I won’t need to eat as much, either.”

He drank from his bowl.

“Oh!” She lifted the corner of her blanket for him and he happily snuggled up with her.

_You’re not hungry because you’re in here._

She sipped from her bowl and hummed. “Oh god, this is best water I’ve ever tasted.”

_It’s pure._

“Straight from the mountain?”

 _Yes. There’s a river that starts in the mountains and runs to this waterfall. There’s a stream that exits the lake and flows out to the sea._ He brought his face closer to hers. _And, if you’d like, we can go visit the hot springs later._

“That sounds lovely.”

 _It is. Especially in the moonlight._ He kissed her cheek. _Very cozy in winter._

“So you don’t mind the cold?”

 _No. Well, it is uncomfortable when it gets very cold. Even we have our limits, but all the better to enjoy a good fire in your home. Or we warm up in other ways._ He smirked.

She giggled. “You’re insatiable.”

_You’ll be able to keep up with me soon._

“I can keep up with you now, thanks.”

_I’m not saying you can’t, because I’ve enjoyed every minute together, but you haven’t really experienced it yet. Not with me._

“Does it have to do with the bond?”

_Yes. That, and we live on an island in the middle of the sea. No big buildings or moving pictures or mobiles to distract us._

She giggled. “Sorry. I bet you’re happy you won’t have to see mine anymore.”

_Happy doesn’t begin to describe it. But we have plenty of ways to entertain ourselves. Sex is just one of those forms of entertainment._

“No different than humans, really.”

_When we’re really together, you’ll understand. There’s not a feeling quite like it when you’re seared onto one another’s souls._

The promise in his eyes made her shiver. She bit her lip and blushed, her gaze falling away. “What’s on the other side of the mountains?”

_Wild lands. We don’t like to touch them. We have all we need over here. We grow our own food and hunt and fish. The warm season is productive and we rest in the winter. Besides, all the game disappears to warmer spots underground when it’s cold._

“How did animals get over here anyway?”

_Used to be that humans would sail here and trade with us. Occasionally they brought animals. We set them free except for the sheep, because those have to be cared for._

“But I thought the island was hidden?”

_Now it is. People like Saxon are exactly why. Ships began stopping with human cargo and we turned them away. It was grotesque. We fell out of memory, I suppose, but I’d rather it be that way. We can live off our land on our own._

“Looks like you have.”

_Do you like it here, Rose?_

“It’s a change, the way of life, but yes, it’s beautiful. I’m happy as long as I’m with you. I can see why you wouldn’t have wanted to stay in London.”

He thought for a moment. _The option to stay with you was never really an option, was it? Idris told me in a dream and I never questioned it. But if you didn’t want to stay here, I don’t know that I could stay, either. My people would have carried on without me. They have been, in fact. But to live here without you, well, that would be no life at all, would it? Perhaps I would have built a boat to sail all the way back to you._

“Would you have stayed with me, then?”

 _Yes. Besides, we don’t have bananas here on Gallifrey. Oh, Rose, what will I do without bananas?_ he lamented.

She laughed. “You managed fine before.”

 _But I hadn’t lived until I tried one! I’ll never get to have one again._ He stuck out that gorgeous bottom lip.

“I’m glad you love me for my ability to provide you with access to bananas.”

 _Much more than that._ He reached for her hand. _Are you ready for this?_

“Will it hurt, the change?”

_It may. Like I said, this has never been done before, but I will be here with you the whole time._

_Rose, I’ll put you to sleep,_  a voice intruded. 

She gazed at Idris in surprise. “Yes, I’d like that,” she answered. “I didn’t see you this morning.”

_I have no form, dear one. Only this corporeal one when necessary. In fact, once this ordeal is over, you won’t see me for some time._

“Why not?”

_Gallifrey is a peaceful place. The people can govern themselves. I only speak concerning the outside world and when I feel it is needed. I bless bonded pairs. I glow a bit for ceremonies because it’s nice to be remembered and celebrated._

Rose snorted at that. “I like you.”

_I like you, too. I’ve been waiting to meet you for so very long._

She blushed.

Theta brushed her ear with his nose, and when she looked, he had the sweetest smile.

“What do you need from me?”

_Lie down. You won’t wake until tomorrow._

“Alright.”

_Theta, can you sit over her please?_

_Why?_ How was that necessary for this?

_Because you’ll be the one to do it._

He swallowed and stared at Idris for a moment before he straddled Rose’s hips. Back when he’d thought of this, he’d wanted to be present to support Rose. Idris was more than capable of doing it herself. Why did she need him for this? What if something went wrong? Could he handle living with that?

“Hey,” she said softly. “I trust you.” She touched his bicep.

He leaned down kiss her. _Maybe that’s all I need._ He touched her temples, and her lips became still on his.

 _Are you ready?_ Idris asked.

He took a deep breath. _Why me?_

_Because it’s nice, don’t you think? Very symbolic. And I like the idea of her being in the hands of someone who loves her. Brace yourself, Theta._

At that moment, every nerve in his body was on fire. He inhaled sharply as everything disappeared around him. He existed in every place and every time at once, the birth and death of the universe in the same instant. He existed in the pulse of life on the island, in the sea, in the lands beyond. Felt the turn of the planet as it made its journey around the sun.

He exhaled and was in the cavern again. _Is this what it’s like to be you, Idris?_

_Yes. I see all of time, all of its passage, all of its possibilities. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be._

_I never imagined._

_It’s a burden, but, yes, it is terrifyingly beautiful. And if you were to hold the pure essence of time within your body, you would burn._

_That’s not quite as pleasant._

_It’s not, really. Are you ready?_

He gazed at the woman before him.

_She’s waiting for you, Theta._

He touched her temples and nearly crumbled at the feel of his mind linking with hers. _I’ve missed this._ Tears flowed down his cheeks.

_I know, and it will be like this again soon. Let me guide your hands._

\--

Rose woke suddenly when she felt the rapid beating of her heart. Why was she panicking? And her head was spinning, overwhelmed by everything. The pounding of the waterfall. The drip of water further down the cavern. A chorus of voices she couldn’t sort. The sharp scratch of the wool blanket. A hum throughout her body, and she felt like she might burst, like she was too big on the inside and needed to relieve some of the pressure.

She covered her ears and curled in on herself, whispering, “Help.” Where was Theta? “Help,” she said, a little louder. “Somebody, help.”

Arms surrounded her from behind. _What’s wrong?_

“I don’t know, I can’t—it’s too loud, too much, I can’t sort it—”

 _Oh, no. I’m so sorry._ He crawled over her, pulling her to him and rubbing her back. _It’s alright. I’m here._

Warmth crept through her body. The noise turned to silence, and she felt a calming presence surround her.

_I’m sorry. I should have known it would be too much at first. I didn’t think._

“What’s wrong with me?”

_Talk to me in here, love._

“What— _how?_

 _Exactly._ Pride colored his voice.

_How am I doing this?_

_You’ve changed._

She opened her eyes. _I’m—I’m like you now?_

 _Yes._ He grinned.

_Oh. My heart was beating so fast._

_Hearts, love. Two beautiful hearts, beating perfectly._

_Is that you I feel with me? In here, I mean?_

_Yes. Is that alright?_

She nuzzled his neck. _Yes. Does that mean we’re bonded, like you said?_

_No. Not yet, though we can connect much more strongly. Bonding will come later. I need you to be more comfortable._

_Why?_

_We have to be intimate._

_Oh. I see._

_We can wait if you need to, if you’d rather. If you need some time. Well, we don’t have to be intimate, to be honest. Some pairs choose not to because they don’t desire it. They just want lifelong companionship. Some Gallifreyans choose to be alone. There’s been a time or two when three have chosen to be together. It’s all a matter of preference. And it would be completely fine if you—_

_But you’d like to be?_

_Yes._

If she focused, she could _feel_ every emotion radiating from him: hope, trepidation, among other things. But most of all, love.

 _Your mind and body need time to adjust,_ he added _. I can help until you feel secure enough on your own._

She lifted her head and kissed him. She waited for him to respond as he normally would have, but he didn’t, so she snaked her hand up to his hair.

 _Be careful, Rose._ His lips finally moved over hers, and his hand slid lower on her back.

Her skin burned in the wake of his touch. _Why?_ She rather liked this, being able to kiss without interruption.

 _You’re still sensitive. Don’t start something you can’t handle yet._ His voice was like hot, melted chocolate in her mind.

She realized then she was really hearing him for the first time. Before, it’d been like talking on the phone, clear but distant. Now he was here, in person, so very real. Now she could feel his intent.

_This is how it’s meant to be._

_You can hear me?_

_You don’t know how to control your thoughts yet._

She felt his amusement, yes, but she wanted to retreat at that. This was all too much for her.

 _Don’t. Don’t pull away._ He hitched her leg over his hip and cupped her cheek. _It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful, Rose._ He shuddered when she scratched his scalp as she gripped his hair anew. _My Rose._ He pulled back, his eyes fresh with tears, and he gazed into hers. _I didn’t think I’d get to share this with anyone again. I was so hopeless and lost and you found me. You brought me back to life._

She inhaled, and then… _Oh!_ She giggled. _I haven’t breathed this entire time! I haven’t needed to._

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. _Better lungs,_ he said.

_I love you, Theta._

_Oh, I love you, Rose._

_Can you help me?_

_Of course. If I ease you into it, it’ll help your mind adjust to all the new information. It’s not really as busy when you get used to it._

_Alright._

_Ready?_

_Yes._

_Focus on the water in the cave._

She closed her eyes and found the steady dripping she’d heard earlier. Counted each drop as it fell, felt the passing of time between each. _There’s more than just listening, isn’t there?_

_Yes. More like connecting with the world around you._

_It’s a completely new sense. Almost like I’m seeing in color for the first time._

_What does that mean?_

She giggled. _I’ll explain later._

_Fair enough. Now, turn your attention to the falls._

She opened her mind to the roaring water, imagining the force of it, following the river as it was pulled down by gravity and flowed out into the lake.

_Yes. Can you focus on both? If it gets to be too much, come back to me._

She held onto her connection with the waterfall, and then also searched for the trickle in the cave. The contrast of soft and powerful was a little disorienting at first, but she managed to find a balance.

He squeezed her hip. _You’ve got it, Rose. Do you feel well enough for me to remove the barrier?_

_Barrier?_

_I put up a sort of wall around us so you could adjust. And, well, we, ehm. We needed a moment of privacy._

She smiled.

_I’ll take it away gradually so you don’t become overwhelmed again._

Slowly, she became more aware of the world around her. The temperature of the air. The low light from outside. The damp, earthy smell one might expect to find in a cave. The information didn’t hit her quite as hard.

_Alright?_

_I’m taking it better._

He smiled. _Good._

_All those voices, were they other Gallifreyans?_

_Yes. I suspect they’ve been waiting for us. And you’re already adapting, or you’d hear them all again, even if I’ve told them to leave you alone for now._ He lifted his head and looked at the waterfall.

She giggled at his stern face. _Did you tell them I was going to change?_

_Yes, on the beach. They’re just excited over all this. We’ve never had something like this happen to us._

_I’ll be happy to meet them later. So what’s the difference between them and a bonded pair?_

_All Gallifreyans are connected on a basic level. If two are not bonded, they can still communicate by directing their thoughts. I can project to a crowd if I’d like, or I can speak to one person within that crowd. You can feel what I feel right now because I’m sharing it with you. A bonded pair—you do understand it’s basically what you lot call marriage? That was what Jack called it when he was here before._

_I’ve sorted that, yes._

_You understand what I want with you?_

_Yes. I want it with you, too._

_Right. Good._ He gave her the silliest, most adorable smile.

She bit her lip. _Go on._

_A bonded pair have a direct, private relationship. I could still hold private conversations outside of our relationship, but you’d be able to feel what I’m feeling. Say if I were angry at someone, not that that ever happens among my people. You’d feel my anger, and you’d be able to know it wasn’t directed at you._

_That’s nice._

_And, by the way, nobody needs to be connected to someone all of the time. Sometimes you need solitude. It’ll take some practice, but you’ll be able to seclude yourself in time. I’ll always let you know beforehand if I do, because I don’t ever want you to reach for me and find I’m not there._

_All this is very intimate._

_It is. You’re baring your true self to another being._

_It requires so much trust._

_Yes, it does. Can I show you something?_

_What?_

_Come with me._ He left the bed and took off towards a path that led out of the back of the cave.

_Where are we going?_

_You need to stretch your legs a bit. You’ve been in bed for the last few days, and now you’ve got new ones. Time to find your feet._

He’d disappeared from view, but she could still feel him if she focused.

_Yes, Rose. Good. Come on! The sun is setting. You won’t want to miss this._

She followed her sense of him and they traveled a fair bit. _What’s back here?_ The floor of the cave was damp in some spots, and normally she might have worried about slipping with bare feet, but her body felt more than stable. And she could see. She had no idea how, but the path was easy to see. No way she would have been able to with her human eyes.

_Amazing, isn’t it? You’re almost here._

She walked for a bit more and rounded a corner, and there he was, waiting for her beneath an opening in the rock above.

He took both of her hands in his when she joined him. _All Gallifreyans carry at least a little light within. Myself, more than the others, and by extension, you. I don’t think I could have explained it before meeting you, but you showed me my blood on the machine, remember? In the lab?_

_Yes. I suppose when you don’t have torches or street lamps, you need to see in the dark._

_Exactly. That wasn’t my favorite day, though._

_What was it, then?_

_When you cut my hair._

She smiled. _Why?_

 _I’ll tell you, but first…_ Without warning, he scaled the wall.

_What are you doing?_

_Climbing. What does it look like?_ He reached the top and pulled himself over the edge. _You coming?_

_I’ve never been a big climber._

_Try it._

She assessed the wall, looked for good steps and grips, and knew the path she should take. _I feel like I can calculate things better._ She began her journey up the wall, though not as swiftly as him. She’d have to learn to trust her new body. At least she wasn’t breaking too much of a sweat, and her limbs were barely aching.

He offered her a hand out, and she emerged onto a grassy area. They were just below the line of tree tops, and the sun was nearing the horizon. The sky was painted in orange that faded to darkness, and the clouds were suspended in red. It was magnificent.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

He touched her shoulders from behind as he stepped up to her.

She craned her neck. _Sorry._

He wrapped his arms around her. _Don’t be. You can speak anytime you like. I love the sound of your voice, and it’s a privilege I don’t have._ He ducked his head to kiss her. _Sit with me?_

She sat between his legs and leaned into his chest. _Oh… we’re still naked. And I’m not even cold. That’s weird._

_It’s nice, isn’t it? So free._

_I’ll get used to it. Is this your secret spot?_

_It’s one of the best places to see the stars. Lupa and I used to sit up here, and now it can be our place._

_I’d like it to be._

They sat in silence for a bit, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Though they didn’t share words, they shared contentment.

She asked, _So why was it your favorite day, when I cut your hair?_

_I had noticed you looking at me a few times._

_You did? No!_ She buried her face in her hands.

 _I did. More than a few times, actually._ He pulled her hands away from her face. _I didn’t mind, I promise._

_Did you walk around half-starkers just to torture me?_

_Well…_ He grinned. _I was curious at the very least. A woman with the same face as my dead wife? But the more I was around her, the more I found she was not the same. Caring and compassionate in her own way. Her voice was like nothing I’d ever heard._

_Considering you’d not heard many voices._

_No, I mean it. I love your voice. And that day Saxon came to visit, I was ready to protect her by any means necessary, but she handled him on her own. And then, Rose, you cut my hair._

_What was so special about that?_

_I really liked the feel of your hands in my hair._

She laughed.

_And on my face when you shaved my beard. I hadn’t had a bare face in so long, and I didn’t think I’d like it. But when you finished, the way you looked at me... before, I belonged to another world, another person, but when you looked at me like that, I wanted to belong to you._

That was the single most romantic thing she’d ever heard in her life, and she closed her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her. He cupped her cheek and her breath caught when his other hand slid across her belly. She smiled when she felt his grin against her lips.

_Can I belong to you, Rose?_

She pulled back to gaze in his eyes. Turning to straddle his hips, she caressed his cheeks and kissed him again. He readily set his hands on her hips, and she felt the rush of arousal within him. _Oh, god, that…_ Her own desire stirred low in her belly in response.

 _I told you._ He caught her lower lip in his teeth and gently pulled, his grip tightening as she moaned. His legs shifted beneath her, as if he were going to lay her back on the grass.

“No,” she breathed, putting a hand on his chest, and he stilled. Her other hand found its way to the nape of his neck and she gently tugged on his hair to angle his head. Her lips left his to explore his throat, lightly sucking on his pulse point. She grazed his skin with her teeth and swirled her tongue around his Adam’s apple.

Fire coursed through her veins, stoked by what she felt from him in response to her ministrations. His half-hard length brushed against her as she rocked her hips in search of friction and both of them gasped at the contact. “I’ll make you mine,” she promised. She reached between them and took him in hand, stroking him a few times, feeling him shudder with pleasure, feeling him harden further in her grip.

What she did not count on were his fingers brushing against her center, and she threw her head back as she cried out. Wrapping his arm around her, he trailed his lips down her exposed flesh to her breasts, taking one into his mouth and brushing over the other with his thumb. She gasped as he treated her nipple as if his head was between her thighs, lapping and sucking at it. _You are so perfect,_ he said. _So beautiful._ He lifted his head and rested his forehead on hers.

She pulled back slightly and grinned mischievously. She leaned on him, giggling as they hit the ground together. He inhaled sharply as she pinned his erection between them. Lifting her body to relieve some pressure, she ducked her head to kiss him, humming as he smoothed a hand over her bum.

She kissed down his torso, teasing his skin with her tongue, smirking up at him when he lifted his head to watch. He was all curiosity and fascination as his eyes locked with hers. “We have a saying among my people,” she said, taking him in hand again. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

_What does that mean?_

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Sounds clever, though.”

With that, she closed her lips around him, delighting in his flood of pleasure. He was a bit envious he couldn’t cry out like her, but his head was thrown back and his lips were parted all the same. _You might kill me after all._

She hummed as she swirled her tongue around the tip, and then bobbed her head a few times. _I intend to._

He leaned up on his elbow and gathered her hair from her face with his free hand.

She released him with a pop and smacked her tongue against her lips. “You taste just like a regular bloke.”

_Is that bad?_

She smirked. “No. I just thought you might be… I dunno, different. Seeing as how you’re better endowed than one.”

 _Glad to know you still think I’m—_ He hissed and his hand tightened in her hair when she took him in her mouth again, this time with a twist of her hand on his shaft as she stroked him.

She lifted her head and grinned. “Impressive?” She crawled up his body. “You are.” She pecked his lips, and his free arm wrapped around her waist. She lifted her hips and reached for his member again and positioned him at her entrance. “Is this alright?”

_Ride me out into the stars, woman._

She stared.

_What?_

She felt a bit of embarrassment from him. A smile creeped its way onto her lips and she scooted forward to wrap her arms around his neck. “That was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.” She lazily kissed him and he relaxed, his hand gently caressing her back. _I like cheesy,_ she said.

 _Good._ He rolled them over so she was lying on the grass.

 _I’m not finished with you._ She wrapped her leg around his waist.

 _I’m only getting started._ He nibbled her earlobe, pride surging through him at the fresh scent of arousal from her.

It was only to lull him into a false sense of security, though. She took him by surprise when she pushed him off (using a bit of her newfound strength) and pinned him to the ground. “I said, I’m not finished.”

His eyes were wide. _My mistake._

“Don’t do it again,” she said seriously, but betrayed herself with a fit of giggles. “This is more fun now that we can talk.”

He grinned and leaned up on his arm as he’d done earlier. _More fun, yes, but my cock feels just as good, Rose. Probably even better now._

She laughed again and trailed her finger along his jaw. “A little impatient, are we?”

_Feel free to take me any time now is all I’m saying._

She yelped as he touched her where she was sensitive. He massaged her bud, and then he slipped a finger inside her. _You seem awfully ready. I’m well aware that a woman needs her foreplay, but I think you’ve had plenty._ His thumb continued to stroke her as he added another finger. She mewled and keened, and he continued working her up until she rocked her hips. He smirked at her disappointed sigh when he removed the source of her pleasure. _You seem a bit tense now. I could help with that, if you’d like._

She grabbed his hand as he was bringing it to his mouth and sucked off her juices with a gleam in her eyes that said she’d be happy to oblige, but on her terms. Her eyes dropped to his throat when he swallowed. Impatient as he was, he was completely enjoying this. Even more so when she leaned forward to kiss him when she was finished so he could taste her, too.

She repositioned him at her entrance again without breaking their kiss, and they sighed into each other’s mouths when she fully sank down on him. She tried to kiss him again but couldn’t as she lifted her hips and brought them down.

Such pleasure coursed through him that he had to lie back in the grass, and she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. He gripped her hips and licked and nipped at her neck, focusing on all the spots he knew drove her mad.

“Hold on,” she said. “Bring up your knees.” She reclined on his thighs and moaned as she sat on him again. Christ, he did feel so good, the tip of him hitting her just right as she bobbed with her knees.

He hooked a hand around her calf and caressed her breasts with the other. _Oh, I love this,_ he managed to say. _I can really see you._ He brought his hand down to her clit and circled it with his thumb, and she cried out. He ached for relief at the sound and the sight of her chasing her release on his body and he began to meet her thrusts.

“Fuck, Theta!” she shouted as he hit her deeply, and she tightened around him. The sight and sound of her losing herself made him snap and he crashed over the edge with her.

They rested for a moment, breaths evening out as the night air cooled them. She climbed off of him to lay at his side in the grass and caught the flash of a meteor. “Shooting star,” she said, smiling.

_What?_

“That was a shooting star. When you see one, you’re supposed to wish on it.”

_Wishes can’t come true because you wished them on something falling through the sky._

“Of course not. It’s just something fun.” She tapped his chest.

_What would you wish for, then?_

“You’re not supposed to share your wishes or they won’t come true.”

_What kind of rules are these?_

She giggled. “It’s just something fun! Stop spoiling it.”

_Fine. Since the falling object doesn’t make it true, I’ll share mine. I’d wish for a whole banana tree. No, a whole forest. A whole forest of banana trees._

“It’s called a grove. Bananas grow in a grove.”

_Then I’d wish for a banana grove. What about you? What would you wish for on a falling object in the sky?_

She turned onto her stomach and crossed her ankles in the air. “I want to be with you forever.”

He searched her eyes for a moment and shifted so he could kiss her. _You have me forever._

“I love you, Theta,” she said against his lips. She rolled so he was above her.

_Let’s go bond._

“Right now?”

_Yes. I could go for a round two. Are you ready?_

“More than.”

He pulled her up off the ground and they climbed back down the cave wall. He took her hand and they ran where the ground wasn’t wet. Rose was taken aback again as she found she could see perfectly without the daylight, and she could run a fair bit farther than she used to.

When they arrived in the main cave, they found two sets of clothes waiting for them on the bed. _Andrea must have brought them by,_ he noted. _For tomorrow._

_Andrea? Is she Lupa’s mother?_

_Yes._

_She looks just like my mother._

_I noticed. Not like I could say anything at the time. Not like I wanted to._

She bit her lip in amusement and sat on the edge of the bed. _If she’s anything like my mum, I understand._

He sat with her, still holding her hand. _We get along fine, better than we used to. She’s just… well. Very particular._

_Why did she hug me? I’m not Lupa._

_She was grateful you brought me home. And she misses Lupa. She knows you’re not the same women, and I told her as such, but it was still like seeing her daughter’s face again. She might compare the two of you for a bit. She means no harm, though. At least she won’t slap you like she did me a few times._

_My mum would do something like that. What did you do?_

He scratched the back of his neck. _Well, Lupa and I sort of bonded before the ceremony. She let it slip one day long after it all happened, and her mother came at me for it like I was some deviant. It wasn’t my fault, though. Idris allowed it to happen, and for good reason._

_What was it?_

_We were out here at the lake one night, just enjoying each other’s company, and Idris invited us in and blessed us right here. She gave us a vision of what was to come, all of this that’s happened. I didn’t remember what I saw until the night before you cut my hair, actually, and that was when Lupa gave me the push I needed to fall in love with you._ He smiled. _So it was a gift from Idris herself. Made no difference to Andrea, though. To her, I’d seduced and deflowered her daughter before it was time. But that wasn’t like me at all! Lupa was the one who invited me out here in the first place. I never would have dreamed of breaking tradition, not if I was going to become the head of the priests by marrying her. Anyway, Andrea forgave me when the kids came along. She had something else to focus on besides me, which I was grateful for._

_What does that mean? Priest?_

_Oh! I’ll have to explain it all to you later. It’s just the way we operate. The priests are the ones who commune with Idris and manage the traditions. The first-born daughter of the chief becomes the new chief, she picks her husband from out of the priests, and he becomes the head priest. The old one passes the gift, my gift to heal, onto the new one._ He raised an eyebrow. _Though, I suppose the chief could pick another woman if she wanted to, but that hasn’t happened yet._

Her eyes grew wide. _If you’re the head, though, I’m not going to be the chief, am I? I don’t think I could. I’m not even from here. They don’t know me._

He smiled and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. _I know you. You could and you’d do just fine. It’s really just making decisions, overseeing everything. But no, you won’t have to. There’s not really a precedence for this. The line will, however, pick up with our children when we decide to have them. Since we’re such a small people on a secluded island, it’s necessary to maintain order._

_Nobody turns evil, do they?_

_No. We all understand the need to live together in peace. You can’t really harbor secret intentions of ill will._

_I suppose you couldn’t. Someone would find out._

He picked up the clothes from the bed and set them on a nearby rock. _This was probably not the best conversation to have before…_ He shook his head and met her eyes. _I’m sorry._

_No, I needed to know all of that anyway._

He was nervous, she could feel. It was why he’d rambled so much, which was adorable. Why he was nervous she couldn’t exactly sort, but she knew most everyone felt that on their wedding day. This was a big deal, getting another chance at life-long love.

Butterflies tickled her stomach as she realized what this meant for her. She was binding her life to this man she’d come to love so intensely. She was about to open her whole life to him, which thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

He squeezed her hand. _Perhaps we shouldn’t have skipped the ceremony._

_No. I want this._

The corner of his lips turned up. _Me, too._ He leaned in to kiss her, and they made love again, taking their sweet, sweet time.

Rose felt the bonding coming as they joined. It started as a tingle at the at the top of her spine and warmed her down to her toes. Then they were engulfed in light as their love climaxed, and they were intertwined when it died down. She felt his body next to hers, but she felt _him_ stronger than she had before, as much as she was aware of herself.

 _Now we’ll never be apart,_ he said. _We could be miles from each other, but you’ll still be with me. You can touch and speak to me from wherever you are._

She stroked his cheek as he held her. _I like that._ Then she felt something… as if he was touching her again. No, as if he was licking her, parting her folds and tasting her. She gasped, and he stopped. “What the hell was that?”

 _Just for fun._ He gave her a cheeky grin.

“But you weren’t—”

_I know._

“But it felt so real!”

_It is, just in a different way._

“I need you to do that again.”

He brushed her nose with his. _I’ll do it many times, I promise._

She touched his cheek again. “Can we go see the others?”

_Yes, if you like._

“I don’t need to sleep like I normally do.”

_I told you. Most are awake anyway. In fact, see if you can feel for them._

She closed her eyes and concentrated. “I can feel them, and I think they’re far away, but I don’t know where.”

 _You’ll learn the land. They’re not quite to the village yet._ He lifted himself from the bed and went to dress in the clothes they’d been brought. He tossed a pair of leather trousers and a woven poncho to Rose. _These used to be Lupa’s. Does that bother you?_

She shrugged and put them on. The leather was soft and well worn, not too tight or loose.  “We have the same body type, right? It’s fine.”

_I noticed when we’d stopped at my home—our home, I mean, you were hesitant._

She held out the front flap of the poncho and examined it, wondering what they used to dye the wool. “I didn’t want to ruin a private moment, is all. You hadn’t really had the chance to say goodbye.”

 _You’re my wife now._ He took her hands and pressed a kiss to both. _I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. My life is yours. My bed is yours._

“I know.” She smiled. She could feel his hesitancy. He was really worried about this.

_Most everyone will be excited to meet you, but some may be cautious. She was so loved here. I just don’t want you to feel out of place because of it._

“I’ll make my own place eventually. It’s a whole new life for me and for them, but it’s sweet of you to be concerned.” She smoothed a thumb over his worried brow and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Let’s go home.”

Holding each other’s hands, they stepped out from behind the waterfall and headed down the path to reach the village.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the end. I promise I didn't mean to make this as poignant as it turned out, but it's what the chapter wanted to be. Some mature fluff at the very end to make up for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next major work I want to publish will be a fic I've had in the drafts for some time. Rose is stuck in Pete's World with no possibility to make it back to the prime universe. She meets an alternate human Ten. Needless to say, there's a bit of angst on her part as she grieves, but he's a really respectful dude, and quite suave.... there's a good smut scene in it, for good measure. It was kind of my gateway into writing for Teninch pairings, so it means a lot to me.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this last chapter. Thanks for all the kudos, comments, likes, and reblogs.
> 
> Also, I was able to get a pillowfort (new social media platform, like tumblr, but better interactivity), and as such, I'll be editing some of my other fics that have been around for a bit. I'll update them on here and post them over on pillowfort, and maybe the updated versions on tumblr. More than anything, it's just a nice excuse to edit some things I've had my eye on for a while.

“Rose!” Martha ran to her friend as the pair emerged from the darkness and threw her arms around her. “Oh, god, you’re alright!”

“I am!” She laughed. “More than alright, actually.”

“What happened? We saw the light and Jack… he said it was like a wedding or something.” She swallowed and folded her arms. “Were you planning to stay here?”

Rose’s smile faded and she pulled her away from the group. They spoke in hushed whispers. “Oh, Martha, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not surprised, really. Anyone can see how in love you two are. I just don’t know why you wouldn’t tell me.”

“He’d only brought it up a few days ago, and I’d only decided the day before we left. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It’s alright. You’ve always been one to do things your way.”

“I guess I didn’t want to have to say goodbye.”

“You’re giving up everything, but you get to keep him.”

Rose smiled through the building tears. “Yeah, I do.”

“What happened? Mickey told me they’d shot you.”

“The light, Martha. It’s not just the light. She’s their goddess. She healed me, and they…”

“What?”

“They changed me. I can talk to him now.”

“How?”

“I’m like him. Feel.” She held Martha’s hand to her chest, first on the left side, and then the right.

Martha’s eyes widened. “Two hearts!”

“Yes!”

“And now you can talk to him in your mind?”

“Yeah. We’re linked now.”

“What’s that like?”

“It’s…” She searched the gathering around the fire, but she felt him smiling before she found him. Warmth spread in her chest when they locked eyes. “Amazing. I can feel him even when he’s not with me.”

“That sounds amazing.” Martha smiled. “I’m happy for you.” She reached out to hug her friend. “Mickey’s finally taking me out when we get back.”

Rose squealed and held her tighter.

“Speaking of getting back, I know we have to say goodbye, but would we be able to visit? It wouldn’t be goodbye forever, would it?”

“I’d love for you to visit!”

“We won’t bring the whole entourage next time,” Jack said, throwing his arms around both of them.

Rose looked over his shoulder at Theta, who was no longer smiling. _Jack means no harm,_ she teased.

 _I know,_ he replied.

_You can hug me later._

The corner of his lips turned up and he returned to his conversation.

“In fact,” Jack continued, “I have some ideas of how to keep the island safe in the future.”

Rose asked, “Like what?”

“We can install some signal converters around the island so any energy that’s emitted from here can only be picked up from Torchwood. We’ve been working on a subwave network. That way if you need anything, you’ll be able to contact us. We can be out in a day or so.”

She grinned. “That’d be great. I, ehm, I was wondering if you could do something else for me?”

“Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

She glanced at Theta again and hoped she was shutting him out before she whispered in his ear.

He raised an eyebrow. “That’ll be a challenge, but I’ll see what we can come up with.”

The Torchwood crew slept in the huts for the evening, but Theta took Rose deep into the woods for a few nighttime rounds of hide and seek, which ended with shagging against one of the trees. They returned just as the sun was rising and worked on a breakfast of fried eggs and boiled venison for the team.

\--

Torchwood did visit. Their first, a year later, was to set up the signal transmitters and the subwave network. Martha was happy to show off the ring she’d been given by Mickey. They were planning for a fall wedding. Donna had demanded pictures of Rose and Nature Boy, and Martha relayed pictures of Donna's growing baby bump. Torchwood also brought more supplies for the island, specifically, tools and cookware made from vibranium that would last for years and years to come. Eventually, they visited with their children and with Rose’s special request.

The visits became less frequent as time passed. Mickey’s and Martha’s hair turned silver and white, but Rose looked hardly older than when she’d stayed. Gallifrey was an island seemingly frozen in time, but the rest of the world marched on.

Rose had long forgotten the feel of mortality, but the weight of it was heavy during their final visit. They stayed in contact through the subwave network, but she shed so many tears the night after the left.

\--

After that first time Torchwood left, as the helicopters lifted into the air, the majority of the Gallifreyans went back to the village. A few stayed with their families to enjoy the sunshine further down the beach towards the point of the cape. Rose didn’t move from where her feet were planted as they disappeared behind the line of trees.

Theta brushed against her mind as he took her hand. _I’m sorry you had to give them up. I know how much they meant to you._ His thumb brushed over hers.

“I’m happy to be here with you, though.” She held his arm and leaned her cheek against his shoulder.

_Rose?_

“Yeah?”

_How long are you going to stay with me?_

She smiled. “Forever.”

\--

_Epilogue_

Theta was eager to return home the moment he left, but he had a task to complete, and Rose had promised to make his return worthwhile. They really hadn’t been apart much in their time together, no more than a few days at a time during a hunting trip, but this journey would take him a little over a week. He’d need to hike past the south side of the mountains to reach the other side, stay a day or two, and then hike back.

She’d been working on a secret project in a little clearing beyond the lake for a year now, which she made him promise not to peek at until she gave him permission. It’d been hard work, and he swore sometimes she liked to torture him in his impatience, but she’d said he could finally see it when he came back.

He’d needed to go because… well, Rose’s cycle was approaching, and she’d just gone through her fertile week. They’d decided that whatever happened would happen. He still hadn’t visited the burial grounds, even though Lupa had said that would be the last time she’d see him. It was tradition among the Gallifreyans for the family of the deceased to visit after some time, and since there was the potential for him and Rose to start a new family, now would be as good a time as any.

Nobody on Gallifrey, however, took a decade to visit the burial grounds. It wasn’t Lupa he’d been avoiding.

The reason for his procrastination greeted him as he crossed the threshold: his two children threw their arms around his neck when he kneeled, and it took everything within not to weep and apologizing for his failure to protect them. They were too young to have understood fully what’d happened, so he simply indulged their desire to play. When the sun went down, they found a comfortable spot in the grass and they laid underneath the stars, his son and daughter on either side of him, and they eventually fell asleep. He’d missed it so much that he couldn’t sleep, savoring the feel of them breathing.

The sky lightened, and he opened his eyes when a hand brushed some fringe away from his forehead.

Lupa grinned down at him. _Took you long enough. They’ve been asking for you for a while now._

_I’m sorry._

_I expected it would. Have you forgiven yourself yet?_

_I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to. How could I?_

_You go on and make new life. Start again. I assume that’s why you finally decided to show?_

_Well… we tried. It’s her first time, so we’ll see if anything happens._

_I’m so happy for you._

He hummed.

 _How’s my mother?_ she asked.

_Immortal. Hovering as usual, and all the more at the prospect of grandchildren, but she can help Rose where I can’t._

_She won’t leave until she holds that child in her arms._

_And three more after that, probably._ He couldn’t feel the warmth in Lupa’s smile anymore, but he could still see it.

_Your mother sends her greetings._

_Did she? I miss her._

_Yes, and she’s happy you’re home and she wishes she could meet Rose._

They chatted for a while longer until the sun peeked over the mountains. The children woke, and they all sat together one final time, a child in each of their laps.

 _I don’t want to say goodbye,_ he said between him and Lupa. _Not to them._

_You have to. It’s part of life. You’ll see them again when you pass._

_That’s so far away. And it’s—_

_Not your fault they’re gone._

He sighed. _Someday I might believe that. And, Lupa?_

_Yes?_

_Thank you for… everything, really. We had such a good life together._

_We did._ She smiled.

Hugging his children at that moment, watching them fade as they walked away with Lupa, was the hardest thing he’d ever done. He curled up beneath a tree and cried until he had nothing left within, and then he slept.

When he woke, the sun was setting, and he was eager to make the return journey.

Rose met him on the path near the lake. He felt her before he saw her standing in a sunbeam leaking through the trees. One glimpse of her, and he was running at full speed to meet her. They met in the middle in a passionate, lovers’ kiss.

Hardly satisfied, but knowing they’d fully reunite later, she pulled away and said, “Are you ready for your surprise?”

_Yes, it’s been long enough!_

“I wanted to make sure it would take first.”

He tugged her hand as she turned. _Does that mean—are you—_

She shook her head and stepped closer to him. “I think it’s too early to tell. It’s different than it is for humans. I meant the surprise I’ve been working on. I’m sorry.”

He nodded, kissing her forehead. _Right. I saw the children._

She lightly wrapped her arms around his waist. “How was it?”

 _They’re at peace._ His eyes glistened, and he leaned into her embrace. _You never get over it, do you?_

“I don’t think it’s any parent’s wish that their child should leave before them.”

 _No._ They stood in silence for a while before he said, _Surprise me now?_

She leaned up on her toes to kiss him. “You’re sure you didn’t peek?”

_All I had to do was follow the path by the lake. Tempting though it was, I restrained myself._

“Then you shall be handsomely rewarded.” She pecked his lips once more before they ran nearly all the way there, hand-in-hand.

His eyes lit up when they met the clearing. In it grew several trees, and on the several trees grew bunches of bananas. _You’ve been growing bananas?_

“I had Torchwood create this particular breed for you, ones that could grow in cold weather. It took so long because they needed to test it in different parts of the world to make sure they’d be successful. It’ll help alleviate the burden on tropical climates anyway, so I was happy to be able to make a difference in the world even from here. Smaller than the ones at Tesco, but they’ll do.”

 _Oh, love._ He held both of her hands and ducked his head to meet her lips. _You’re amazing._

_Are you gonna stand here kissing me all day, or are you gonna put that mouth to better use and try one?_

_There is no greater purpose for this mouth. This mouth missed yours so much. A week without kissing you is far too long._

She giggled as his hands wandered to her back and then south to her bum. “Banana first, then sex.” His childish pout made her laugh even more. “I’m excited for you to try them! I’ve been working on this for far longer than you were gone. I win.”

He rolled his eyes. _Fair enough._ Reaching up to pick one from the bunch, he peeled it and took a bite. His jaw froze and he stared.

“You don’t hate it, do you?”

 _I’d forgotten how good bananas are. Sorry, I needed that moment to myself._ He finished his treat and picked two more from the overhanging bunch. _Sit with me?_ He turned and sat against the trunk, patting the space between his legs.

“One of those for me?”

He froze and blushed. _You didn’t think I’d pick these for myself and leave you out?_

She raised an eyebrow. “When it comes to bananas…”

 _Rose, I’d never._ He held one up for her.

Sitting, she said, “I don’t need to read your mind to know you’re lying.”

_Can you blame me?_

“No.” She smiled and peeled her banana, sealing her lips around it and moaned obviously.

_I thought you said sex after the bananas._

She winked as she coyly trailed her tongue up the length of the fruit. “Speaking of mouths, I was thinking of how much mine missed your banana.”

He waggled his eyebrows. _Your mouth could enjoy my banana while I enjoy a banana. Best of both worlds, that is._

“Bananas and sex. That’s all you need in this world.”

_Nah._

“No?”

He brushed her cheek with his nose. _Just you, Rose Tyler._

Then they christened the banana grove and later fell asleep in each other’s arms beneath the stars, with a bond and their hearts full of love, just like any other day on the island of Gallifrey.


End file.
